title: Comparison of neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy versus radiochemotherapy followed by resection for stage III (N2) NSCLC.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Comparison of prospectively treated patients with neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy vs radiochemotherapy followed by resection for mediastinoscopically proven stage III N2 non-small cell lung cancer with respect to postoperative morbidity, pathological nodal downstaging, overall and disease-free survival, and site of recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two patients were enrolled between January 1994 to June 2003, 36 had cisplatin and doxetacel-based chemotherapy (group I) and 46 cisplatin-based radiochemotherapy up to 44 Gy (group II), either as sequential (25 patients) or concomitant (21 patients) treatment. All patients had evaluation of absence of distant metastases by bone scintigraphy, thoracoabdominal CT scan or PET scan, and brain MRI, and all underwent pre-induction mediastinoscopy, resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection by the same surgeon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group I and II comprised T1/2 tumors in 47 and 28%, T3 tumors in 45 and 41%, and T4 tumors in 8 and 31% of the patients, respectively (P=0.03). There was a similar distribution of the extent of resection (lobectomy, sleeve lobectomy, left and right pneumonectomy) in both groups (P=0.9). Group I and II revealed a postoperative 90-d mortality of 3 and 4% (P=0.6), a R0-resection rate of 92 and 94% (P=0.9), and a pathological mediastinal downstaging in 61 and 78% of the patients (P<0.01), respectively. 5y-overall survival and disease-free survival of all patients were 40 and 36%, respectively, without significant difference between T1-3 and T4 tumors. There was no significant difference in overall survival rate in either induction regimens, however, radiochemotherapy was associated with a longer disease-free survival than chemotherapy (P=0.04). There was no significant difference between concurrent vs sequential radiochemotherapy with respect to postoperative morbidity, resectability, pathological nodal downstaging, survival and disease-free survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based radiochemotherapy was associated with a similar postoperative mortality, an increased pathological nodal downstaging and a better disease-free survival as compared to cisplatin doxetacel-based chemotherapy in patients with stage III (N2) NSCLC although a higher number of T4 tumors were admitted to radiochemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pezzetta
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stupp
authors.forename: Abderrahim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zouhair
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guillou
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taffé
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Briel
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: Hans-Beat
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Ris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin