Induction chemoradiation and surgical resection for superior sulcus non-small-cell lung carcinomas: long-term results of Southwest Oncology Group Trial 9416 (Intergroup Trial 0160).
OBJECTIVE
Traditional treatment for superior sulcus non-small-cell lung cancers (SS NSCLC), radiation plus surgery, yields a 50% rate of complete resection and a 30% 5-year survival. On the basis of improved outcomes in other subsets of stage III NSCLC, this trial tested the feasibility of induction chemoradiotherapy for SS NSCLC.


METHODS
Patients with T3-4, N0-1 SS NSCLC received two cycles of cisplatin and etoposide concurrently with radiation (45 Gy). Patients with stable or responding disease underwent thoracotomy. All patients received two more cycles of chemotherapy. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and prognostic factors were assessed by Cox regression analysis.


RESULTS
From April 1995 to November 1999, 110 eligible patients (76 men, 34 women) were entered onto the study (78 T3, 32 T4 tumors). Induction therapy was completed by 104 (95%) patients. Of 95 patients eligible for surgery, 88 (80%) underwent thoracotomy, two (1.8%) died postoperatively, and 83 (76%) had complete resection. Pathologic complete response (CR) or minimal microscopic disease was seen in 61 (56%) resection specimens. Five-year survival was 44% for all patients and 54% after complete resection, with no difference between T3 and T4 tumors. Pathologic CR led to better survival than when any residual disease was present (P = .02). Disease progression occurred mainly in distant sites.


CONCLUSIONS
This combined-modality approach is feasible and is associated with high rates of complete resection and pathologic CR in both T3 and T4 tumors. Local control and overall survival seem markedly improved relative to previous studies of radiation plus resection.
Rusch
Valerie W
VW
Thoracic Surgery Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Giroux
Dorothy J
DJ
Kraut
Michael J
MJ
Crowley
John
J
Hazuka
Mark
M
Winton
Timothy
T
Johnson
David H
DH
Shulman
Lawrence
L
Shepherd
Frances
F
Deschamps
Claude
C
Livingston
Robert B
RB
Gandara
David
D
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; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D012074:Remission Induction
D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin