Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung: experience with ten cases.
OBJECTIVE
Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung (LELC) is a rare form of non-small cell lung cancer predominantly affecting young non-smoking Asians, and there has been only limited experience in its palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We investigated tumour response, time to progression and survival of LELC patients who received such treatment.


METHODS
We prospectively recruited patients with confirmed advanced LELC who were treated with chemoradiotherapy in our unit, a regional tertiary referral centre for lung cancer treatment.


RESULTS
There were 10 patients (five males, age 47 +/- 9.8 years, median follow-up 22 months) with advanced LELC (respectively 1, 4, and 5 patients at TNM stage IIIA, IIIB and IV) who received systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The primary chemotherapy regimen consisted of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/cisplatin. The response rates to 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/cisplatin were 60% partial response, 10% stable disease, and 30% progressive disease. Eight patients were also given local radiotherapy. Five patients received salvage chemotherapy when disease progressed after primary chemotherapy. The overall median survival was 23.4 +/- 4.7 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The encouraging response to combination chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/ cisplatin, although empirical, supports its use with radiotherapy in unresectable lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung.
Ho
J C
JC
Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China.
Lam
W K
WK
Wong
M P
MP
Wong
M K
MK
Ooi
G C
GC
Ip
M S
MS
Chan-Yeung
M
M
Tsang
K W
KW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome