Primary Synchronous Lung Cancer Detected using Autofluorescence Bronchoscopy / 결핵및호흡기질환

OBJECTIVE: Patients with lung cancer have a relative high risk of developing secondary primary lung cancers. This study examined the additional value of autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB) for diagnosing synchronous lung cancers and premalignant lesions. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer from January 2005 to December 2005 were enrolled in this study. The patients underwent a lung cancer evaluation, which included white light bronchoscopy (WLB), followed by AFB. In addition to the primary lesions, any abnormal or suspicious lesions detected during WLB and AFB were biopsied. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 23 had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In addition to the primary lesions, 84 endobronchial biopsies were performed in 46 patients. Five definite synchronous cancerous lesions were detected in three patients with initial unresectable NSCLC and in one with SCLC. The secondary malignant lesions found in two patients were considered metastatic because of the presence of mediastinal nodes or systemic involvement. One patient with an unresectable NSCLC, two with a resectable NSCLC, and one with SCLC had severe dysplasia. The detection rate for cancerous lesions by the clinician was 6.0% (6/99) including AFB compared with 3.0% (3/99) with WLB alone. The prevalence of definite synchronized cancer was 4.0% (4/99) after using AFB compared with 2.0% (2/99) before, and the staging-up effect was 1.0% (1/99) after AFB. Since the majority of patients were diagnosed with advanced disease, the subjects with newly detected cancerous lesions did not have their treatment plans altered, except for one patient with a stage-up IV NSCLC who did not undergo radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Additional AFB is effective in detecting early secondary cancerous lesions and is a more precise tool in the staging workup of patients with primary lung cancer than with WLB alone.

Multimodality Treatment Based on Induction Chemotherapy for Stage III NSCLC

PURPOSE : The aim of this study was to validate the effect and the feasibility of induction chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on multimodality treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS : From January 2002 to December 2003, 84 chemonaive patients with Stage III NSCLC, median age of 64 years, ECOG perfomance satus 0, 1, or 2, and without other comorbid disease were enrolled this study and received chemotherapy every 3 weeks. After two or three cycles of induction chemotherapy (gemcitabine with cisplatin), patients were reevaluated by chest CT and then underwent resection, radiotherapy, further chemotherapy, or observation. RESULTS : Overall clinical responses were seen in 43 (57%) of the 76 assessable patients. Response rates were 61% and 53% in patients with stage IIIA and IIIB disease, respectively. Twenty-eight patients out of initially unresectable 70 patients (19 of 32 stage IIIA and 9 of 38 stage IIIB) after induction chemotherapy seemed to be resectable. Operation was done in 23 out of 32 patients who achieved clinically resectable stage after induction chemotherapy and 20 (87%) resections were complete and 3 were incomplete including 1 case of open & closure. Thirty-two patients were treated with chest radiation after chemotherapy. Eighteen patients were treated with chemotherapy upto 6 cycles and 6 patients refused further treatment after induction chemotherapy. Median follow up of all patients was 16.2 months, median survival was 16 months, and estimated disease progression free interval was 11 months. Survival and disease progression free interval were different with between induction chemotherapy followed by complete resection subgroup and followed by radiation therapy subgroup (24 vs. 14 months, p=0.04). Grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopeina were noticed in 29% and 10%, respectively and one chemotherpy related death was also noticed. CONCLUSION : Induction chemotherapy followed by surgery with or without adjuvant radiation might be the recommendable management to improve the survival in locally advanced NSCLC with feasible toxicity

Gemcitabine Plus Vinorelbine as Second-line Chemotherapy of the Patients of Previously Treated Non-small Cell lung Cancer: Phase II Trial / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Both gemcitabine and vinorelbine are effective anticancer drugs with mild toxicity on non-small cell lung cancer, and monotherapy of these drugs are effective as a second-line chemotherapy. The aim of this trial was to assess the response and toxicity of a combination of gemcitabine and vinorelbine in patients of previously treated for non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 24 patients, initial stage III A/B,IV and previously treated with platinium and taxane based regimens, were enrolled from June 2000 to March 2004. The regimens consisted of vinorelbine 25mg/m2 followed by an infusion of gemcitabine 1000mg/m2 on day 1 and day 8 every three weeks. This course was repeated more than twice. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were analyzed for the response, survival rate, and toxicities. The overall response was 17% with a complete remission rate of 4%. The median time-to progression (TTP) was 3.1 months (95%, CI 1-10months), and the survival time was 8.2 months (95%, CI 1-23 months). The grade 3/4 toxicities encountered were neutropenia (12.5%), anemia (0%), thrombocytopenia (0%). Non-hematological 3/4 toxicities were not observed. CONCLUSION: A combination of gemcitabine and vinorelbine in patients previously treated for non-small cell lung cancer provides a relatively good response rate, and a low toxicity profile. However, further study will be needed to confirm its effectiveness.

Docetaxel as Second-line Monotherapy for Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: The survival benefit associated with first-line chemotherapy in lung cancer has led to the need for second-line chemotherapy, for which Docetaxel (Taxotere(R)) has proven efficacy in both settings. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of docetaxel in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had failed first-line platinum- based chemotherapy. METHODS: Thirty one patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, who had failed first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, between March 1999 and August 2003, were enrolled in this study. Patients received intravenous docetaxel, either 75 mg/m2 or 100 mg/m2, with routine premedication every three weeks. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (45.2%) had a partial response. The median survival and progression-free survival times were 12.5 months (95% CI 7.3-17.6) and 3.0 months (95% CI 1.6-4.5), respectively. This study showed 2 factors gave different survival benefits; the age ( or = 60 years: 6.6 months, p = 0.0105) and the histological type (adenocarcinoma: 25.6 months vs. others: 7.9 months, p=0.0055). The predominant toxicity was neutropenia, which occurred as WHO grade 3 or 4 in 38.7 % of patients. One treatment-related death was also reported. Non-hematological toxicity was minor and easily controlled. There were no significant statistical differences in the survival benefit and toxicity between the two doses. CONCLUSION: Docetaxel, as second-line monotherapy, was well tolerated and effective in patients with non-small- cell lung cancer who failed first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

Multimodality Treatement in Patients with Clinical Stage IIIA NSCLC / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: To find out effectiveness of multimodality treatments based on induction chemotherapy(CTx) in patients with clinical stage IIIA NSCLC METHODS: From 1997 to 2002, 74 patients with clinical stage IIIA NSCLC underwent induction CTx at the hospital of Chungnam National University. Induction CTx included above two cycles of cisplatin-based regimens(ectoposide, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, or taxol) followed by tumor evaluation. In 30 complete resection group, additional 4500-5000cGy radiotherapy(RTx) was delivered in 15 patients with pathologic nodal metastasis. 29 out of 44 patients who were unresectable disease, refusal of operation, and incomplete resection were followed by 60-70Gy RTx in local treatment. Additional 1-3 cycle CTx were done in case of induction CTx responders in both local treatment groups. RESULTS: Induction CTx response rate were 44.6%(complete remission 1.4% & partial response 43.2%) and there was no difference of response rate by regimens(p=0.506). After induction chemotherapy, only 33 out of resectable 55 ones(including initial resectable 37 patients) were performed by surgical treatment because of 13 refusal of surgery by themselves and 9 poor predicted reserve lung function. There were 30(40.5%) patients with complete resection, 2(2.6%) persons with incomplete resection, and 1(1.3%) person with open & closure. Response rate in 27 ones with chest RTx out of non-operation group was 4.8% CR and 11.9% PR. In complete resection group, relapse free interval was 13.6 months and 2 year recur rate was 52%. In non-complete resection(incomplete resection or non-operation) group, disease progression free interval was 11.2 months and 2 year disease progression rate was 66.7%. Median survival time of induction CTx 74 patients with IIIA NSCLC was 25.1months. When compared complete resection group with non-complete resection group, the median survival time was 31.7 and 23.4months(p=0.024) and the 2-year overall survival rate was 80% and 41% . In the complete resection group, adjuvant postoperative RTx subgroup significantly improved the 2-year local control rate(0% vs. 40%, p= 0.007) but did not significantly improve overall survival(32.2months vs. 34.9months, p=0.48). CONCLUSION: Induction CTx is a possible method in the multimodality treatments, especially followed by complete resection, but overall survival by any local treatment(surgical resection or RTx) was low. Additional studies should be needed to analysis data for appropriate patient selection, new chemotherapy regimens and the time when should RTx be initiated.

Prognostic Factors for Survival in Patients with Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Although patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer areknown to have a poor prognosis, the prognostic factors for survival have not been well evaluated. Such factors may be different from those for overall survival. This study was performed to analyze the prognostic factors for survival and the variation of survival according to metastatic organ, in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1997 to December 2000, 151 patients with confirmed stage IV non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled into this study retrospectively. The clinical and laboratory data were analyzed using univariate Kaplan-Meier and Multivariate Cox regression models. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, age, performance status, serum albumin level, weight loss, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), systemic chemotherapy, the number of metastatic organs and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level were significant factors (p<0.05). In multivariate analysis, important factors for survival were ECOG performance (relative risk of death [RR]: 2.709), systemic chemotherapy (RR: 1.944), serum LDH level (RR: 1.819) and FEV1 (RR: 1.774) (p<0.05). Metastasis to the brain and liver was also a significant factor on univariate analysis). The presence of single lung metastasis was associated with better survival than that of other metastatic organs (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: We confirmed that performance status and systemic chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors, as has been recognized. The survival of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients was different according to the metastatic organs. Among the metastatic sites, only patients with metastasis to the lung showed better survival than that of other sites, while metastasis of the brain or liver was associated with worse survival than that of other sites.