A single institutional subset analysis of the WJLCG study comparing concurrent and sequential chemoradiotherapy for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To supplement findings of the West Japan Lung Cancer Group (WJLCG) study, treatment outcomes in our institution were reviewed from the perspective of radiation oncology.


METHODS
Chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin (80 mg/m2 on days 1 and 29), vindesine (3 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 29, and 36), and mitomycin (8 mg/m2 on days 1 and 29). In the concurrent arm, radiation therapy began on day 2 with a dose of 56 Gy in 28 fractions over 6.8 weeks, with an interval of 10 days at 28 Gy. In the sequential arm, radiation therapy began on day 50 with a dose of 56 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.6 weeks, without an interval.


RESULTS
Twenty-four patients in the concurrent arm and 25 patients in the sequential arm in our institution were eligible for the WJLCG study. In the concurrent arm, three patients could not receive the full dose of radiation therapy and 12 patients required interruption of radiation therapy for more than 4 days. The median survival time among per-protocol patients and in those with interruption or with incomplete radiation therapy was 28.9 months and 14.1 months, respectively (p = 0.02). In the sequential arm, one patient could not receive the full dose of radiation therapy and none of the patients required such interruption. Local relapse and distant metastases as the first site of relapse occurred in 12 (11 in-field, 1 marginal) and five patients, respectively, in the concurrent arm, and in eight (7 in-field, 1 marginal) and 11 patients, respectively, in the sequential arm.


CONCLUSIONS
In the concurrent regimen, noncompletion or interruption of radiation therapy was frequent, and the prognosis of such patients was poor.
Tada
Takuhito
T
Department of Radiology, Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Disease, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Minakuchi
Kazuo
K
Matsui
Kaoru
K
Kin
Hideki
H
Nishiguchi
Tomokazu
T
Fukuda
Haruyuki
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome