Adjuvant chemotherapy in resected non-small cell lung cancer.
There is still a high mortality ratio in completely resected non-small cell lung cancer patients either due to local or, more often, to metastatic recurrence. The NSCLC Collaborative Group Meta-analysis demonstrated a not statistically significant advantage in patients treated with cisplatin-based regimens. Many subsequent trials were unable to demonstrate the real effectiveness of cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy with a significant rate of toxicity. The IALT trial demonstrated little advantage in overall and disease-free survival with acceptable toxicity. A recent meta-analysis of trials including 5716 patients demonstrated the role of cisplatin-based chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment of resected non-small cell lung cancer even if results shoud be carefully examined. At present, adjuvant chemotherapy in non-small cell cancer should not be reserved to experimental trials.
Cangiano
Rodolfo
R
U.O.C. Oncologia Medica, Istituto di Medicina Interna e Geriatria, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Policlinico "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italy. rocang@libero.it
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077235:Vinorelbine
D016685:Mitomycin; D014747:Vinblastine; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D014751:Vindesine