title: Definitive chemoradiotherapy in Stage III nonsmall cell lung cancer: Turkey experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard therapy for patients with unresectable Stage III nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of concurrent CRT in unresectable Stage III NSCLC in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 82 patients with histologically proven unresectable Stage III NSCLC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1, who received concurrent CRT in two different referral centers. Treatment consisted of two cycles of cisplatin at 50 mg/m 2 on days 1, 8, 29, and 36 and etoposide 50 mg/m 2 between days 1 and 5, 29-33 and concurrent radiotherapy administered once daily, 1.8-2.0 Gy per fraction, at a total dose of 60-66 Gy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The stages of the patients were Stage IIIA in 39 (47.5%) and IIIB in 43 (52.5%) patients. Complete and partial responses were achieved in 15 (18.2%) and 31 (37.8%) of the patients, respectively. Twenty-eight (34.2%) patients had stable disease and 8 (9.8) had progressive disease. Forty-one (50%) patients recurred during follow-up. The primary site of recurrence was as distant metastasis in 19 (23.2%) patients. Median overall survival (OS) was 20 months (95% confidence interval; 12.9-27.09 months), 3 and 4 years survivals were 27.9% and 20.9%, respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9 months, 3 and 4 years PFSs were 20.1% and 16.1%. Myelosuppression was the most common toxicity. In 15 (19.2%) patients grade 2-3 lung toxicity and in seven (8.5%) patients' grade 2-3 dysphagia were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent CRT with cisplatin and etoposide schedule is a well-tolerated regimen with acceptable toxicity profile and survival rates in patients with unresectable Stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC. Median survival and OS results were consistent with the literature.
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Ulku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yasar
authors.forename: Esra Korkmaz
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kıraklı
authors.forename: Sukran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulger
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozdogan
authors.forename: Nilgun Yilmaz
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Demirci
authors.forename: Serhat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozdogan
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koksal
authors.forename: Cimen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akcay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D014421:Turkey; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014747:Vinblastine; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin