title: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy with bi-weekly docetaxel and carboplatin for stage III unresectable, non-small-cell lung cancer: clinical application of a protocol used in a previous phase II study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the clinical applicability of a protocol evaluated in a previously reported phase II study of concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy with bi-weekly docetaxel and carboplatin in patients with stage III, unresectable, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2000 and March 2006, 116 previously untreated patients with histologically proven, stage III NSCLC were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Radiation therapy was administered in 2-Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 60 Gy in combination with docetaxel, 30 mg/m(2), and carboplatin at an area under the curve value of 3 every 2 weeks during and after radiation therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival time for the entire group was 25.5 months. The actuarial 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 53% and 31%, respectively. The 3-year cause-specific survival rate was 60% in patients with stage IIIA disease, whereas it was 35% in patients with stage IIIB disease (p = 0.007). The actuarial 2-year and 5-year local control rates were 62% and 55%, respectively. Acute hematologic toxicities of Grade ≥3 severity were observed in 20.7% of patients, while radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis of Grade ≥3 severity were observed in 2.6% and 1.7% of patients, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The feasibility of the protocol used in the previous phase II study was reconfirmed in this series, and excellent treatment results were achieved.
authors: Division of Radiation Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama, Japan. junsaito@sannet.ne.jp
authors: Jun-Ichi
authors: J
authors: Saitoh
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Saito
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Kazumoto
authors: Shigehiro
authors: S
authors: Kudo
authors: Daisaku
authors: D
authors: Yoshida
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Ichikawa
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Sakai
authors: Futoshi
authors: F
authors: Kurimoto
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Kato
authors: Kei
authors: K
authors: Shibuya