Hemithoracic radiotherapy for mesothelioma: lack of benefit or lack of statistical power?

Abstract

The dose to the contralateral remaining lung is known to be an important factor associated with radiation pneumonitis and radiation-induced death.2 However, the study provides no details on radiotherapy guidelines, doses to the contralateral lung, or correlation of dosimetric variables with toxicities. Central radiotherapy review and adherence to strict normal tissue dose constraints affects overall survival,3 and these safeguards are particularly important for a rare malignancy such as malignant pleural mesothelioma. [...]we cannot consider Stahel and colleagues' study definitive with respect to the role of adjuvant radiotherapy.