[Gemcitabine and radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: dolce vita at last!].
A hallmark of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer is its high local and systemic recurrence rates, ranging from 60% to 80%. Radiotherapy has shown its efficacy in controlling the tumor and in increasing overall survival, especially with combined sequential or concurrent chemotherapy to allow an anti-tumoral synergy. Gemcitabine, a new generation cytotoxic agent, is a potent radiosensitizer in vitro, and thus appears as a promising molecule in these multimodal therapeutic regimens. If the initial trial with gemcitabine and radiation produced unacceptable toxicities, lessons were learned from this study, and further phase I-II trials demonstrated that in a clinical trial setting, gemcitabine and radiation can be given safely, both in sequential and concurrent chemoradiation regimens, leading to high response rates and prolonged survival. Gemcitabine-radiation combination is currently integrated in phase III trials evaluating the optimal therapeutic sequence in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and appears as one of the most promising therapeutic regimen in thoracic oncology.
Girard
Nicolas
N
Département de radiothérapie-oncologie, Centre hospitalier Lyon-Sud, 165, chemin du Grand-Revoyet, 69495 Pierre-Bénite Cedex.
Mornex
Françoise
F
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine