title: Chest irradiation as an attempt to improve the response after induction chemotherapy in small cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: Forty-six patients with small cell lung carcinoma received cyclic chemotherapy with cisplatin-VP 16 and vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide. The responding patients were given prophylactic cranial irradiation. Patients without metastases not achieving a complete response (CR) following induction chemotherapy were given chest irradiation. The response rate was 73.9 per cent. Response was improved by radiation therapy in only 9 per cent of the patients with limited disease. Median survival was 39 weeks, with 2 patients surviving for longer than 24 months. The duration of response and survival in complete and partial responders was similar; absence of radiation therapy in the patients with CR might explain this finding.
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin