Table 1 Patients’ characteristics and statistical analysis. IS non-responders were defined as patients with no significant improvement of clinical symptoms to the inhalative therapy after 2 weeks

Median age (years)

63.3

65.2

0.680

Range (years)

52–74

50–82

Gender

0.651

Male

4

12

Female

2

6

UICC stage

IB

0

1

0.762

IIB

1

2

0.696

IIIA

0

4

0.304

IIIB

2

4

0.662

IV

4

5

0.182

Histological type

0

6

Squamous cell carcinoma

2

8

0.545

Adenocarcinoma

3

6

0.283

Smoking status

Non-smoker

1

4

0.634

Former smoker

5

13

0.520

Current smoker

0

1

0.750

Pack years (average)

52

47

0.131

Pre-existing COPD

2

7

0.603

ECOG status before radiotherapy

0

0.590

0

3

10

1

3

8

Spirometry before radiotherapy

FEV1 (average, l)

1.73

1.8

0.705

VC (average, l)

2.9

2.9

0.544

RAWtot (average, kPas/l)

2.28

3.0

0.630

pO2 (average, mmHg)

70

67

0.686

pCO2 (average, mmHg)

36.8

40.1

0.207

HbCO (average, %)

0.3

2.2

0.077

Hb (average, g/dl)

15.45

14.05

0.424

DLCO (average, mmol/min/kPa)

4.4

4.8

0.701

Median total dose (Gy)

59

63

0.537

Mean lung dose (Gy)

14.9

15.4

0.475

Range

8–20

3–23

Chemotherapeutic regimen

None

1

2

0.597

Concurrent

4

16

0.366

Sequential

1

0

0.730