title: Use of adjuvant chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer in routine practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For many years, surgery has been the standard treatment for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent randomized trials demonstrated that cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy increases overall survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the precise use of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resected NSCLC in routine practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2004 and May 2005, we retrospectively analyzed 219 patients with early-stage NSCLC who had undergone surgery at one major surgical center in Paris, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris. Patient characteristics, the type of surgery, and indications for adjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-seven of the 219 patients (40%) in this study had been treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Different factors were associated with doctors not prescribing this treatment: age, comorbidity, tumor, node, metastasis stage, and postoperative complications. More than eight different cisplatin-based regimens were used, highlighting considerable heterogeneity in the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in daily practice. There is an increase of adjuvant chemotherapy during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with resected stage II and IIIA NSCLC. However, such therapy is used quite heterogeneously in daily practice and specific regimens, and the percentage of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy vary from standard recommendations. A prospective follow-up of daily practice regarding the use of adjuvant chemotherapy is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Département de Médecine, Université Paris XI, SITEP (Service des Innovations Thérapeutiques Précoces), Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Massard
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tran Ba Loc
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pignon
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monnet
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trédaniel
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Besse
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Soria
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome