Randomized controlled trial of exercise training in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors: cardiopulmonary and quality of life outcomes.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of exercise training on cardiopulmonary function and quality of life (QOL) in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors who had completed surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy with or without current hormone therapy use. METHODS: Fifty-three postmenopausal breast cancer survivors were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 25) or control (n = 28) group. The exercise group trained on cycle ergometers three times per week for 15 weeks at a power output that elicited the ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide. The control group did not train. The primary outcomes were changes in peak oxygen consumption and overall QOL from baseline to postintervention. Peak oxygen consumption was assessed by a graded exercise test using gas exchange analysis. Overall QOL was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast scale. RESULTS: Fifty-two participants completed the trial. The exercise group completed 98.4% of the exercise sessions. Baseline values for peak oxygen consumption (P =.254) and overall QOL (P =.286) did not differ between groups. Peak oxygen consumption increased by 0.24 L/min in the exercise group, whereas it decreased by 0.05 L/min in the control group (mean difference, 0.29 L/min; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18 to 0.40; P <.001). Overall QOL increased by 9.1 points in the exercise group compared with 0.3 points in the control group (mean difference, 8.8 points; 95% CI, 3.6 to 14.0; P =.001). Pearson correlations indicated that change in peak oxygen consumption correlated with change in overall QOL (r = 0.45; P <.01). CONCLUSION: Exercise training had beneficial effects on cardiopulmonary function and QOL in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.     

Improved physical fitness of cancer survivors: a randomised controlled trial comparing physical training with physical and cognitive-behavioural training

We compared the effect of a group-based 12-week supervised exercise programme, i.e. aerobic and resistance exercise, and group sports, with that of the same programme combined with cognitive-behavioural training on physical fitness and activity of cancer survivors. One hundred and forty seven cancer survivors (all cancer types, medical treatment >or=3 months ago)were randomly assigned to physical training (PT, n=71) or PT plus cognitive-behavioural training (PT+CBT, n=76).Maximal aerobic capacity, muscle strength and physical activity were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Analyses using multilevel linear mixed-effects models showed that cancer survivors' physical fitness increased significantly in PT and PT+CBT from baseline to post-intervention. Changes did not differ between PT and PT+CBT. Physical fitness of cancersurvivors was improved following an intensive physical training programme. Adding a structured cognitive-behavioural intervention did not enhance the effect.     

The implementation of an oncologist referred, exercise self-management program for older breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND: With increased breast cancer survivor rates among older women, the negative outcomes of breast cancer treatment may linger for years. METHOD: We designed and implemented an oncologist referred, exercise self-management program to increase physical activity and health-related quality of life using a pretest-posttest, single group design. We recruited 34 breast cancer survivors seen for a follow-up oncology visit at two university cancer treatment centers. Women with a mean age of 59.6 years (S.D.=66) comprised the sample. Average time since diagnosed was 3.1 years; 45% had stage I breast cancer and 55% had stage II; 62% received chemotherapy and 59% received a mastectomy. Following a baseline assessment on exercise support, self-efficacy, barriers and benefits; quality of life; and a functional performance test, subjects participated in self-management classes and received telephone support. Participants (n=30) repeated the assessment at 6-months. We compared scores between time periods using t-tests. RESULTS: Older women increased frequency of weekly, moderate physical activities (p相似文献   

Six-month follow-up of patient-rated outcomes in a randomized controlled trial of exercise training during breast cancer chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Few exercise trials in cancer patients have reported longer-term follow-up. Here, we report a 6-month follow-up of exercise behavior and patient-rated outcomes from an exercise trial in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Breast cancer patients initiating adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 242) were randomly assigned to usual care (n = 82), resistance exercise training (RET; n = 82), or aerobic exercise training (AET; n = 78) for the duration of their chemotherapy. At 6-month follow-up, participants were mailed a questionnaire that assessed quality of life, self-esteem, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and exercise behavior. RESULTS: Two hundred one (83.1%) participants provided 6-month follow-up data. Adjusted linear mixed-model analyses showed that, at 6-month follow-up, the RET group reported higher self-esteem [adjusted mean difference, 1.6; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.1-3.2; P = 0.032] and the AET group reported lower anxiety (adjusted mean difference, -4.7; 95% CI, -0.0 to -9.3; P = 0.049) compared with the usual care group. Moreover, compared with participants reporting no regular exercise during the follow-up period, those reporting regular aerobic and resistance exercise also reported better patient-rated outcomes, including quality of life (adjusted mean difference, 9.5; 95% CI, 1.2-17.8; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in self-esteem observed with RET during breast cancer chemotherapy were maintained at 6-month follow-up whereas reductions in anxiety not observed with AET during breast cancer chemotherapy emerged at 6-month follow-up. Moreover, adopting a combined aerobic and resistance exercise program after breast cancer chemotherapy was associated with further improvements in patient-rated outcomes. Exercise training during breast cancer chemotherapy may result in some longer-term and late effects for selected patient-rated outcomes.     

Association between physical activity and mortality among breast cancer and colorectal cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundPhysical activity improves physical function during and after cancer treatment, but whether physical activity imparts survival benefit remains uncertain.DesignUsing prospective studies published through June 2013, we conducted a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of pre- and post-diagnosis physical activity in relation to total and cancer mortality among breast or colorectal cancer survivors.ResultsSixteen studies of breast cancer survivors and seven studies of colorectal cancer survivors yielded 49095 total cancer survivors, including 8129 total mortality cases and 4826 cancer mortality cases. Comparing the highest versus lowest levels of pre-diagnosis physical activity among breast cancer survivors, the summary relative risks (RRs) of total and breast cancer mortality were 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.69–0.88] and 0.77 (95% CI = 0.66–0.90, respectively. For post-diagnosis physical activity, the summary RRs of total and breast cancer mortality were 0.52 (95% CI = 0.42–0.64) and 0.72 (95% CI = 0.60–0.85), respectively. For pre-diagnosis physical activity among colorectal cancer survivors, the summary RRs of total and colorectal cancer mortality were 0.74 (95% CI = 0.63–0.86) and 0.75 (95% CI = 0.62–0.91), respectively. For post-diagnosis physical activity, the summary RRs of total and colorectal cancer mortality were 0.58 (95% CI = 0.48–0.70) and 0.61 (95% CI = 0.40–0.92), respectively. Each 10 metabolic equivalent task-hour/week increase in post-diagnosis physical activity (equivalent to current recommendations of 150 min/week of at least moderate intensity activity) was associated with 24% (95% CI = 11–36%) decreased total mortality risk among breast cancer survivors and 28% (95% CI = 20–35%) decreased total mortality risk among colorectal cancer survivors. Breast or colorectal cancer survivors who increased their physical activity by any level from pre- to post-diagnosis showed decreased total mortality risk (RR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.46–0.80) compared with those who did not change their physical activity level or were inactive/insufficiently active before diagnosis.ConclusionPhysical activity performed before or after cancer diagnosis is related to reduced mortality risk among breast and colorectal cancer survivors.     

Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in triple-negative breast carcinoma: A prospective randomized controlled multi-center trial

Background and purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a high risk breast cancer that lacks the benefit from hormone treatment, chemotherapy is the main strategy even though it exists in poor prognosis. Use of adjuvant radiation therapy, which significantly decreases breast cancer mortality, has not been well described among poor TNBC women. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy could significantly increase survival outcomes in TNBC women after mastectomy. Patients and methods: A prospective randomized controlled multi-center study was performed between February 2001 and February 2006 and comprised 681 women with triple-negative stage I–II breast cancer received mastectomy, of them, 315 cases received systemic chemotherapy alone, 366 patients received radiation after the course of chemotherapy. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated. Simultaneously local and systemic toxicity were observed. Results: After a median follow-up of 86.5 months, five-year RFS rates were 88.3% and 74.6% for adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy alone, respectively, with significant difference between the two groups (HR 0.77 [95% CI 0.72, 0.98]; P = 0.02). Five-year OS significantly improved in adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation group compared with chemotherapy alone (90.4% and 78.7%) (HR 0.79 [95% CI 0.74, 0.97]; P = 0.03). No severe toxicity was reported. Conclusions: Patients received standard adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation therapy was more effective than chemotherapy alone in women with triple-negative early-stage breast cancer after mastectomy.     

宫颈癌根治性手术后辅助调强放疗(IMRT)的临床观察

目的 探讨早期宫颈癌术后具有不良预后因素的患者行盆腔调强放射治疗(IMRT/sIMRT)的近期不良反应和复发率.方法 回顾分析2007年1月～2008年6月期间78例早期宫颈癌术后具有不良预后因素行放射治疗的患者资料,其中IMRT组有30例;常规组48例.调强放射治疗方法(IMRT/或sIMRT):CTV上界从腹主动脉...     

Association between Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Longitudinal Study

This study examines the association between rates of change in daily fruit and vegetable intake and in weekly levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) over a 15-month period in women following primary treatment completion for breast cancer. Breast cancer survivors (N = 199) self-reported fruit and vegetable intake and wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days to measure levels of MVPA on five occasions every 3 months. Multivariate latent growth modeling revealed that the rate of change in fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with the rate of change in levels of MVPA. Baseline (Mean = 3.46 months post-treatment) levels of MVPA were not associated with the rate of change of daily fruit and vegetable intake; likewise, baseline fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with the rate of change in levels of MVPA. Behavioral interventions promoting fruit and vegetable intake should not be assumed to yield concomitant effects in promoting MVPA or vice versa.     

Predictors of adherence and contamination in a randomized trial of exercise in colorectal cancer survivors

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of exercise adherence (i.e. exercise in the intervention group) and exercise contamination (i.e. exercise in the control group) in a randomized controlled trial of home-based exercise in colorectal cancer survivors. At baseline, 102 participants completed measures of the theory of planned behavior, personality, past exercise, exercise stage of change, physical fitness, and medical/demographics and then were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to an exercise (n=69) or control (n=33) group. Exercise was monitored weekly for 16 weeks using self-reports by telephone. Ninety-three (91%) participants completed the trial. Adherence was 76% in the exercise group and contamination was 52% in the control group. Hierarchical stepwise regression analyses indicated that baseline exercise stage of change (beta=0.35; p=0.001), employment status (beta=-0.28; p=0.010), treatment protocol (beta=-0.26; p=0.018), and perceived behavioral control (beta=0.20; p=0.055) explained 39.6% of the variance in exercise adherence. Intentions (beta=0.36; p=0.049) and baseline exercise stage of change (beta=0.30; p=0.095) explained 29.9% of the variance in exercise contamination. These findings may have implications for conducting clinical trials of exercise in colorectal cancer survivors and for promoting exercise to colorectal cancer survivors outside of clinical trials.     

Associations of leisure-time physical activity with quality of life in a large,population-based sample of colorectal cancer survivors

Objective To examine the associations between physical activity and quality of life for colorectal cancer survivors; and to describe the associations of medical and sociodemographic attributes with overall quality of life, and their moderating effects on the relationships between physical activity and quality of life. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,996 colorectal cancer survivors recruited through the Queensland Cancer Registry. Data were collected on current quality of life; leisure-time physical activity pre- and post-diagnosis; cancer treatment and side-effects; and general sociodemographic attributes. Hierarchical generalized linear models identified variables significantly associated with quality of life. Results After controlling for sociodemographic variables, disease-specific variables, treatment side-effects, and pre-diagnosis leisure-time physical activity, there were significant differences in quality of life scores by post-diagnosis physical activity category. Compared to participants who were inactive after their diagnosis, those who were sufficiently active had a 17.0% higher total quality of life score. Physical activity also had a significant independent positive association with the physical well-being, functional well-being, and additional concerns subscales of the FACT-C. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that quite modest changes in leisure-time physical activity are associated with quality of life. Colorectal cancer survivors may benefit from a more active lifestyle.     

Fatigue after treatment for early stage breast cancer: a controlled comparison

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that fatigue may be a greater problem for cancer survivors than people without cancer. The present study sought to determine whether fatigue was greater in women who had completed treatment for early-stage breast cancer relative to a demographically matched comparison group of women with no cancer history. METHODS: As part of a larger study, women with stage 0-II breast cancer were recruited before the start of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (n = 100) or radiotherapy only (n = 121). Fatigue was assessed at the end of treatment and 2, 4, and 6 months later. An age- and geographically matched sample of women with no history of cancer was recruited and assessed for comparison purposes. RESULTS: Relative to comparison subjects, breast cancer survivors reported more days of fatigue in the past week at all 4 study assessments (P < .05). These differences appeared to be clinically meaningful in that a greater percentage of patients than nonpatients earned scores in the abnormal range on this measure at each assessment (P < .05). Additional analyses indicated that differences in fatigue between patients and comparison subjects were attributable primarily to heightened fatigue in women who received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that fatigue is a greater problem for breast cancer survivors in the 6 months after completion of chemotherapy than for women with no cancer history. Future research should include longer-term follow-up to determine the persistence of fatigue in this population of survivors.     

老年消化道恶性肿瘤生存者运动行为改变的研究

目的探讨消化道恶性肿瘤生存者体能锻炼行为模式的改变和临床意义。方法采用回顾分析的方法,调查手术、化放疗后病情稳定的70岁以上Ⅰ～Ⅲ期消化道恶性肿瘤（食管癌、胃癌和结肠直肠癌）生存者,记录其诊断前、积极治疗3个月和1年的运动量和每周运动频率,并了解患者运动动机和偏好,探讨运动与肿瘤复发的关系。结果调查了72例消化道恶性肿瘤生存者,发现患者经治疗病情平稳后进行中、高强度运动的频率比诊断之前低,但1年后平均轻度和中等强度体力活动基本达到诊断前水平,而高强度锻炼频率仍低。根据指南,运动基本达标的患者占65．3％,肿瘤复发率为12．8％,不达标的患者占34．7％,复发率为16．0％,运动不达标时肿瘤复发的风险比（RR）为1．80（95％CI0．95～3．41,P=0．04）,有统计学意义。肿瘤生存者运动的动机主要有改善健康、增加体能,维持正常生活方式、增加免疫力等,而最常见的运动障碍是疲乏、缺少动机和不舒服等。结论初步研究表明,治疗期间恶性肿瘤生存者的体能锻炼参与比例下降,治疗完成后中轻度锻炼基本恢复到诊断前的水平,而高强度活动能力仍低,锻炼达到标准者较未达标者肿瘤复发率降低,（P=0．04）,有统计学意义。     

Polymorphisms in three base excision repair genes and breast cancer risk in Thai women

Few randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of combined aerobic and resistance training in breast cancer survivors soon after completing adjuvant therapy. Breast cancer survivors (N = 58) within 2 years of completing adjuvant therapy were randomly assigned to an immediate exercise group (IEG; n = 29) or a delayed exercise group (DEG; n = 29). The IEG completed 12 weeks of supervised aerobic and resistance exercise, three times per week. The DEG completed the program during the next 12 weeks. Participants completed patient-rated outcomes at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall quality of life (QoL) measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast scale. Secondary endpoints were fatigue, social physique anxiety, and physical fitness. Follow-up data was obtained on 97% of participants and exercise adherence was 61.3%. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed a significant group by time interaction for overall QoL (P < 0.001). Specifically, QoL increased in the IEG from baseline to 12 weeks by 20.8 points compared to a decrease in the DEG of 5.3 points (mean group difference = 26.1; 95% CI = 18.3–32.7; P < 0.001). From 12 to 24 weeks, QoL increased in the DEG by 29.5 points compared to an increase of 6.5 points in the IEG (mean group difference = 23.0; 95% CI = 16.3–29.1; P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained for the secondary endpoints. Combined aerobic and resistance exercise soon after the completion of breast cancer therapy produces large and rapid improvements in health-related outcomes.     

Leukemia risk following radiotherapy for breast cancer

To evaluate further the relationship between high-dose radiotherapy and leukemia incidence, a nested case-control study was conducted in a cohort of 22,753 women who were 18-month survivors of invasive breast cancer diagnosed from 1935 to 1972. Women treated for breast cancer after 1973 were excluded to minimize the possible confounding influence of treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. The cases had histologically confirmed leukemia reported to the Connecticut Tumor Registry (CTR) between 1935 and 1984. A total of 48 cases of leukemia following breast cancer were included in the study. Two controls were individually matched to each leukemia case on the basis of age, calendar year when diagnosed with breast cancer, and survival time. Leukemia diagnoses were verified by one hematologist. Radiation dose to active bone marrow was estimated by medical physicists on the basis of the original radiotherapy records of study subjects. Local radiation doses to each of the 16 bone marrow components for each patient were reconstructed; the dose averaged over the entire body was 530 rad (5.3 Gy). Based on this dosage and assuming a linear relationship between dose and affect, a relative risk (RR) in excess of 10 would have been expected. However, there was little evidence that radiotherapy increased the overall risk of leukemia (RR = 1.16; 90% confidence interval [CI], 0.6 to 2.1). The risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, one of the few malignancies without evidence for an association with ionizing radiation, was not significantly increased (RR = 1.8; n = 10); nor was the risk for all other forms of leukemia (RR = 1.0; n = 38). There was no indication that risk varied over categories of radiation dose. These data exclude an association between leukemia and radiotherapy for breast cancer of 2.2-fold with 90% confidence, and provide further evidence that cell death predominates over cell transformation when high radiation doses are delivered to limited volumes of tissue.     

Smaller regional volumes of brain gray and white matter demonstrated in breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors who were exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy. Neural damage by chemotherapy might have played some part in these findings. The current study explored the regional brain volume difference between breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy (C+) and those unexposed (C-). METHODS: High-resolution 1.5-tesla brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) databases of breast cancer survivors and healthy controls were used. Brain images were preprocessed for optimal voxel-based morphometry. Comparisons of gray matter and white matter were performed between the C+ and the C- groups, by using MRI scans from within 1 year (the 1-year study, n = 51 and n = 55, respectively) or 3 years after their cancer surgery (the 3-year study, n = 73 and n = 59, respectively). As exploratory analyses, correlation analyses were performed between indices of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised and regional brain volume where the volume were significantly smaller. As a reference, MRI scans of cancer survivors were compared with those of healthy controls (n = 55 for the 1-year study and n = 37 for the 3-year study). RESULTS: The C+ patients had smaller gray matter and white matter including prefrontal, parahippocampal, and cingulate gyrus, and precuneus in the 1-year study. However, no difference was observed in the 3-year study. The volumes of the prefrontal, parahippocampal gyrus, and precuneus were significantly correlated with indices of attention/concentration and/or visual memory. Comparisons with healthy controls did not show any significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant chemotherapy might have an influence on brain structure, which may account for previously observed cognitive impairments.     

Prolonged impact of chemotherapy on fatigue in breast cancer survivors: a longitudinal comparison with radiotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors and noncancer controls

BACKGROUND:

In this study, the authors examined the influence of prior treatment on the course of fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Patients who received chemotherapy were expected to have greater fatigue than patients who received radiotherapy and noncancer controls 6 months after the completion of treatment, but they were expected to recover to levels similar to those of the other 2 groups 3 years later.

METHODS:

Patients with stage 0 through II breast cancer completed the Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI) and the Profile of Mood States Fatigue Scale (POMS‐FAT) 6 months (T1) and 42 months (T2) after completing chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy (the CT group; n = 103) or radiotherapy only (the RT group; n = 102). An age‐matched group of women with no history of cancer (the NC group; n = 193) was assessed over a similar interval.

RESULTS:

A significant (P = .041) group × time effect for FSI severity scores revealed that fatigue worsened over time in the CT group but remained stable and lower in the RT and NC groups. There also were significant group effects for FSI days (P < .001) and POMS‐FAT (P = .010) scores, indicating that fatigue was significantly greater across time in the CT group than in the NC group (POMS‐FAT) or the RT and NC groups (FSI days).

CONCLUSIONS:

Contrary to expectations, fatigue did not diminish over time in patients with breast cancer who received chemotherapy. This finding has important implications for patient education and for fatigue monitoring during follow‐up. The authors concluded that future research should seek to examine possible mechanisms to explain the apparent prolonged impact of chemotherapy on fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Cancer 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.     

Results of a diet/exercise feasibility trial to prevent adverse body composition change in breast cancer patients on adjuvant chemotherapy

PURPOSE: Patients with breast cancer on adjuvant chemotherapy can experience weight gain and concurrent losses in muscle mass. Exercise interventions can prevent these changes, but time and travel pose barriers to participation. The Survivor Training for Enhancing Total Health (STRENGTH) trial assessed the feasibility and impact of 2 home-based interventions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety premenopausal patients with breast cancer on adjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to a calcium-rich diet (CA) intervention (attention control) or to 2 experimental arms: a CA + exercise (EX) arm or a CA + EX and high fruit and vegetable, low-fat diet (FVLF) arm. Exercise arms included aerobic and strength-training exercises. Body composition, weight status, waist circumference, dietary intake, physical activity, quality of life, anxiety, depression, serum lipids, sex hormone binding globulin, insulin, proinsulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-1B, and tumor-necrosis factor receptor-II were measured at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Accrual targets were achieved and modest attrition was observed (8.8%). Self-reports suggest increased calcium intakes in all arms, and higher fruit and vegetable and lower fat intake in the CA + EX + FVLF arm; no differences in physical activity were observed. While measures of adiposity were generally lower in the CA + EX + FVLF arm, the only significant difference was in percentage of body fat (arms and legs); change in scores (mean +/- standard deviation) were +0.7% +/- 2.3% (CA); +1.2% +/- 2.7% (CA + EX); and +0.1% +/- 2% (CA + EX + FVLF; P = .047). Lean body mass was largely preserved, even in the control arm (net gain of 452 g +/- 2395 g). No differences were observed in other endpoints. CONCLUSION: Diet and exercise interventions can prevent weight gain and adverse body composition changes, but more research is needed to determine optimally effective interventions that can be implemented during active treatment and that promote adherence.     

Role of adjuvant radiotherapy in completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer

Most long-term survivors of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are patients who have had a completely resected tumour. However, this is only achievable in about 30% of the patients. Even in this highly selected group of patients, there is still a high risk of both local and distant failure. Adjuvant treatments such as chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) have therefore been evaluated in order to improve their outcome. In patients with stage II and III, administration of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy is now considered the standard of care, based on level 1 evidence. The role of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) remains controversial. In the PORT meta-analysis published in 1998, the conclusions were that if PORT was detrimental to patients with stage I and II completely resected NSCLC, the role of PORT in the treatment of tumours with N2 involvement was unclear and further research was warranted. Thus at present, after complete resection, adjuvant radiotherapy should not be administered in patients with early lung cancer. Recent retrospective and non-randomised studies, as well as subgroup analyses of recent randomised trials evaluating adjuvant chemotherapy, provide evidence of the possible benefit of PORT in patients with mediastinal nodal involvement. The role of PORT needs to be evaluated also for patients with proven N2 disease who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. The risk of local recurrence for N2 patients varies between 20% and 60%. Based on currently available data, PORT should be discussed for fit patients with completely resected NSCLC with N2 nodal involvement, preferably after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy or after surgery if patients have had preoperative chemotherapy. There is a need for new randomised evidence to reassess PORT using modern three-dimensional conformal radiation technique, with attention to normal organ sparing, particularly lung and heart, to reduce the possible over-added toxicity. Quality assurance of radiotherapy as well as quality of surgery – and most particularly nodal exploration modality – should both be monitored. A new large multi-institutional randomised trial Lung ART evaluating PORT in this patient population is needed and is now under way.