Impact of Oral Administration of UFT for Postoperative Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the etiology of distant metastasis that was a major factor in the death of a patient with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent studies have suggested that UFT may be effective adjuvant chemotherapy for completely resected early stage NSCLC. This study was designed to clarify the feasibility of UFT adjuvant chemotherapy in early stage NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We administered UFT adjuvant chemotherapy for 24 months to patients with completely resected stage I NSCLC from January 2003 to January 2007 and compared the results in patients who did not receive UFT. The control group was recruited between March 1992 and December 2003. The UFT group was followed until death or the study cut-off date (20 October 2007). The control group was followed until September 2004. RESULTS: The UFT group was comprised of 28 patients. In the UFT group, 18 patients had adenocarcinomas and 10 patients had squamous cell carcinomas. The control group was comprised of 91 patients. In the control group, 34 patients had adenocarcinomas and 57 patients had squamous cell carcinomas. Thirty-five patients in the control group recurred (38.5%) and 9 patients in the UFT group (32%) recurred. CONCLUSION: The oral administration of UFT adjuvant chemotherapy was well-tolerated long-term without severe complications. Especially in stage I NSCLC, there was an improvement in the survival rate in patients treated with UFT, even though there was no statistical difference compared to the control group. Additional studies will be necessary to demonstrate the clinical significance of UFT treatment in early NSCLC