title: Feasibility of Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy in Daily Practice for Patients with NSCLC Stage III.
abstract: In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), approximately 25% have locally advanced disease. For patients with irresectable (N2-3 or T4) or inoperable disease, treatment consists of chemoradiotherapy. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy improves survival compared to sequential chemoradiotherapy in these patients.
  
  
  
  Treatment plans and completion of treatment was evaluated for all patients treated at the St. Antonius Hospital from 2008-2011 for NSCLC stage IIIA/B not eligible for surgery.
  
  
  
  Between 2008 and 2011, 180 patients with NSCLC stage III were treated at our hospital. A total of 152 patients were not eligible for surgery; in 78 (51%) patients, primary treatment was chemoradiotherapy; 31 (20%) were planned for concomitant treatment. The most frequent reasons for refraining from concomitant chemoradiotherapy were limitations of radiotherapy constraints and condition of the patients (87%).
  
  
  
  Although concomitant chemoradiotherapy is the standard-of-care in patients with stage IIIA/B NSCLC ineligible for surgery, the majority (80%) of the patients were treated otherwise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Femke S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: VAN DER Meer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands f.schramel@antoniusziekenhuis.nl.
authors.forename: Franz M N H
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Schramel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: VAN Vulpen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sherif Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: El Sharouni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018401:Sample Size; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Non-small cell lung carcinoma; chemoradiotherapy; stage III; therapy