BACKGROUNDTo study the results of combination therapy for adrenal metastasis from lung cancer.

METHODSThirty patients with adrenal metastasis were treated in our hospital from Feb. 1995 to Apr. 2001. Forteen patients were small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and 16 patients were non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). All patients were treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Eighteen patients were treated with combination therapy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while twelve patients with chemotherapy alone.

RESULTSThe median survival time was 8 months. The response rate of chemotherapy alone was 25.0% (partial relief 3 cases), while the response rate of combination therapy was 44.4% (complete relief 1 case and partial relief 7 cases). Pain was relieved quickly after radiotherapy for the patients with pain symptom.

CONCLUSIONSCombination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is better than chemotherapy alone for the treatment of adrenal metastasis from lung cancer.