title: Effect of histologically verified TNM stage on disease control in treated small cell carcinoma of the lung.
abstract: Pretreatment classification of patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung into categories of "limited" and "extensive" disease is inadequate; it does not identify the few having a good prognosis for disease control. Available reports from the literature were analyzed for (1) histologically verified TNM stage; (2) adequate treatment by current standards; and (3) number and percent of patients remaining in complete remission at 30 months after the start of treatment. Long-surviving patients by histologically verified stage were as follows: Stage I, 5 of 6 patients (83%); Stage II, 3 of 4 (75%); T3 without N2 or M1, 2 of 4 (50%); and N2 with any T value but without M1, 1 of 16 (6.2%). Long survivors with most distant involvement in the supraclavicular nodes were the following: ipsilateral, 3 of 22 (13.6%); contralateral, 2 of 40 (5%). Histologically verified M1 elsewhere allowed less than 1% long survivors. Indirect evidence of M1 by abnormal bone scan allowed less than 5%. Contrary to general usage, TNM staging of patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung promises to correlate closely with the probability of long disease-free survival.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents