title: Optimal timing of radiotherapy with alternating/sequential radio-chemotherapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the optimal timing of radiotherapy with alternating/sequential radio-chemotherapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  91 patients with LS-SCLC were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups according to the number of chemotherapy cycles before radiotherapy. If the patient received radiotherapy after 3 cycles or fewer cycles of chemotherapy, classification was into the early group, if not, into the late group. All patients received 6 cycles of standard chemotherapy (EP/EC) and conventional radiotherapy (56 gy~ 60 gy/28 f ~30 f).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate (RR) of the early and late groups were 85.7% and 81.6%, respectively, with no significant difference (p>0.05). In contrast, the progression-free survival (PFS) in the early group was better than that in the late group (11.8 months vs 9.86 months), and the difference was significant (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between two groups in adverse reactions, which gastrointestinal irritation and bone marrow suppression being the most common (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiotherapy after 3 cycles or fewer cycles of chemotherapy does not bring significant benefits for RR of patients with LS-SCLC, but it could significantly prolong their PFS without increase in adverse reactions.
authors: School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Jinan-Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Shandong Province, China E-mail : guo090909@126.com.
authors: Li-Jie
authors: LJ
authors: Wang
authors: Xiu-Ju
authors: XJ
authors: Liu
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Guan
authors: Chu-Feng
authors: CF
authors: Zhang
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Wang
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Qi-Sen
authors: QS
authors: Guo
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*