Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC]

ABSTRACT

This study included 12 patients with locally advanced histologically proven non-small cell carcinoma of the lung who presented to Kasr El-Aini Center of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine [NEMROCK] from the first of August to the first of December, 1993. Patients received 3 cycles of neoadjuvant Carboplatin [300 mg/m [2]] I.V. bolus on day 1] and VP16 [120 mg/m [2] I.V. infusion over 30 minutes day 1 to day 3] followed by radiation therapy [45 Gy to the primary and mediastinum followed by 15 - 20 Gy boost to the primary]. 92% of cases were males with a mean age of 52 +/- 15 years, history of cigarette smoking has been observed in 58.4%. Adenocarcinoma was the most frequent pathological type [50%] followed by squamous cell [41.6%] and large cell carcinoma [8.4%]. Eleven cases were considered evaluable for assessment of treatment response with a median follow up of 9 months. The overall response rate was 64%. One case showed complete response [CR], 6 showed partial response [PR] and were considered responders while 4 showed no change [NC] and considered non-responders. Squamous cell carcinoma was statistically better than adenocarcinoma [80% of the former showed PR versus 33% of the latter]. In this study, the responders showed a better total actuarial survival than the non-responders