Twice Daily Radiation Therapy Plus Concurrent Chemotherapy for Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.
- Author:
Seung Gu YEO
1
;
Moon June CHO
;
Sun Young KIM
;
Ki Whan KIM
;
Jun Sang KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Korea. mjcho@cnu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Twice daily radiation therapy;
Concurrent chemoradiation;
Limited stage;
Small cell lung cancer
- MeSH:
Anemia;
Appointments and Schedules;
Brain;
Chemoradiotherapy;
Cranial Irradiation;
Disease Progression;
Doxorubicin;
Drug Therapy*;
Esophagitis;
Etoposide;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Leukopenia;
Male;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Retrospective Studies;
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma*;
Survival Rate;
Thrombocytopenia;
Vincristine
- From:The Journal of the Korean Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
2006;24(2):96-102
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the efficiency and feasibility of twice daily radiation therapy plus concurrent chemotherapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer in terms of treatment response, survival, patterns of failure, and acute toxicities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1993 and October 2002, 76 patients of histologically proven limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) were treated with twice daily radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy. Male was in 84% (64/76), and median age was 57 years (range, 32~75 years). Thoracic radiation therapy consisted of 120 or 150 cGy per fraction, twice a day at least 6 hours apart, 5 days a week. Median total dose was 50.4 Gy (range, 45~51 Gy). Concurrent chemotherapy consisted of CAV (cytoxan 1000 mg/m2, adriamycin 40 mg/m2, vincristine 1 mg/m2) alternating with PE (cisplatin 60 mg/m2, etoposide 100 mg/m2) or PE alone, every 3 weeks. The median cycle of chemotherapy was six (range, 1~9 cycle). Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was recommended to the patients who achieved a complete response (CR). PCI scheme was 25 Gy/ 10 fractions. Median follow up was 18 months (range, 1~136 months). RESULTS: Overall response rate was 86%; complete response in 39 (52%) and partial response in 26 (34%) patients. The median overall survival was 23 months. One, two, and three year overall survival rate was 72%, 50% and 30%, respectively. In univariate analysis, the treatment response was revealed as a significant favorable prognostic factor for survival (p<0.001). Grade 3 or worse acute toxicities were leukopenia in 46 (61%), anemia in 5 (6%), thrombocytopenia in 10 (13%), esophagitis in 5 (6%), and pulmonary toxicity in 2 (2%) patients. Of 73 evaluable patients, 40 (55%) patients subsequently had disease progression. The most frequent first site of distant metastasis was brain. CONCLUSION: Twice daily radiation therapy plus concurrent chemotherapy produced favorable response and survival for LS-SCLC patients with tolerable toxicities. To improve the treatment response, which proved as a significant prognostic factor for survival, there should be further investigations about fractionation scheme, chemotherapy regimens and compatible chemoradiotherapy schedule.
