title: Advanced primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma: clinical manifestations, treatment, and outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is rare, with better clinical outcomes than other lung cancers. However, reports on advanced LELC characteristics and prognosis are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included adults diagnosed with advanced LELC (at least stage IIIA) between January 2003 and December 2015. Clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study population comprised 23 patients with a mean age of 63.7±10.6 years. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status on diagnosis was 0 in five patients and 1 in the others. Most patients received multimodality treatment and all received cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Median follow-up duration was 28.8 months. The median progression free survival (PFS) was 14.6 months in patients received palliative chemotherapy. There were nine (39.1%) deaths. The median overall survival (OS) was not achieved. Until July 31, 2016, median OS was 54.1 months for stage IIIB and 27.6 months for stage IV. There was no significant difference in OS among all stages. No prognostic factors were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced LELC responded well to cisplatin-based chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Main tumor resection is probably beneficial for advanced LELC. Long-term survival is possible for advanced LELC after multimodality treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine & Geriatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan;; College of Medicine Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine & Geriatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan;; College of Medicine Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan;
authors.forename: Meng-Heng
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan;
authors.forename: Chih-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan;
authors.forename: Yueh-Fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Fang
keywords: Pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC); outcome; overall survival (OS)