Randomized trial of hyperfractionated radiation therapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy of combined hyperfractionated radiation therapy (HFX RT) and concurrent chemotherapy (CHT) in stage IIIA or IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with that of HFX RT alone.


METHODS
Between January 1988 and December 1989, 169 patients were divided randomly into the following groups: group I, HFX RT with 1.2 Gy twice daily to a total dose of 64.8 Gy (n = 61); group II, same HFX RT with CHT consisting of 100 mg of carboplatin (CBDCA) on days 1 and 2 and 100 mg of etoposide (VP-16) on days 1 to 3 of each week during the RT course (n = 52); and group III, same HFX RT with CHT consisting of 200 mg of CBDCA on days 1 and 2 and 100 mg of VP-16 on days 1 to 5 of the first, third, and fifth weeks of the RT course (n = 56).


RESULTS
The median survival time (MST) was 8 months for group I, 18 months for group II, and 13 months for group III. The 3-year survival rates were 6.6%, 23%, and 16%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the survival rate between groups I and II (P = .0027, log-rank test), but not between groups I and III (P = .17) or between groups II and III (P = .14). The relapse-free survival rate in group II was also higher than that in group I (P = .0024), which was largely due to improved local control in group II patients. Patients in groups II and III showed a higher incidence of acute and/or late high-grade toxicity compared with group I patients, but no patient died of treatment-related toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of HFX RT and continuous CBDCA/VP-16 CHT was tolerable and substantially increased the survival rate.
Jeremic
B
B
Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Kragujevac, Yugoslavia.
Shibamoto
Y
Y
Acimovic
L
L
Djuric
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin