title: Carboplatin plus epirubicin plus VP-16, concurrent 'split course' radiotherapy and adjuvant surgery for limited small cell lung cancer. Gruppo Oncologico Centro-Sud-Isole (GOCSI).
abstract: Thirty-three patients with limited small cell lung cancer (SCLC) received carboplatin, epirubicin and VP-16 chemotherapy, concurrent 'split course' thoracic radiotherapy, followed by surgery for patients achieving an objective response (OR). High-risk patients and those staged T4-N3 (IIIB) at diagnosis, were excluded from surgery. After induction chemoradiotherapy we obtained 90.9% OR, with 63.3% obtaining complete response (CR). Ten patients (30.3%) were eligible for surgery after induction therapy. Five patients (15.1%) were subjected to surgery and five additional patients refused. Of the five patients who were subjected to surgery, four had a complete response (CR), (three pathological confirmations), and one had a partial response (PR), (unresectable). The median survival time for all patients was 16 months with 12.1% of the long-term survivors still living after 2 years and 9% still living after 3 and 4 years. Toxicity consisted mainly of myelosuppression. This study shows a high activity of the chemotherapy and the chemoradiotherapeutic regimen employed but a low feasibility for adjuvant surgery in SCLC.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Oncologia Medica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Federico II di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Aprile
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curcio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brancaccio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmeri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comella
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veltri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D015993:Life Tables; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin