Combined modality treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: preoperative chemoradiation does not result in a poorer quality of life.
The German Lung Cancer Cooperative Group (GLCCG) is assessing the impact of chemoradiation in addition to chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of stage III NSCLC. After three cycles of cisplatin/etoposide patients receive either hyperfractionated radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent carboplatin/vindesine and then surgery (arm A) versus surgery and then conventional RT (arm B). Quality of life (QL) was assessed throughout therapy using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-LC 13. Of 126 eligible patients, 54 completed treatment. For patients in both treatment arms physical functioning decreased, whereas dyspnoea, fatigue and pain increased from beginning to the end of treatment. For self-assessed QL no statistically significant effect was found in or between the two treatment arms. The combined modality approach with preoperative radio/chemotherapy proves to be feasible in treating locally advanced NSCLC patients without decreasing their subjective QL.
Schumacher
Andrea
A
Department of Medicine/Hematology, University of Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany. anschum@uni-muenster.de
Riesenbeck
Dorothea
D
Braunheim
Michael
M
Wewers
Dieter
D
Heinecke
Achim
A
Semik
Michael
M
Hoffknecht
Petra
P
Macha
Hans N
HN
Klinke
Folker
F
Schmidt
Ernst-Wilhelm
EW
Willich
Normann
N
Berdel
Wolfgang E
WE
Thomas
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D011788:Quality of Life; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin; D014751:Vindesine