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Comparison of low dose radiation therapy alone or combined with procarbazine (NSC‐77213) for unresectable epidermoid carcinoma of the lung, stage t3, N1, N2, or ML
Author(s) -
Palmer Robert L.,
Kroening Paul M.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197808)42:2<424::aid-cncr2820420207>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , procarbazine , stage (stratigraphy) , mediastinum , epidermoid carcinoma , carcinoma , nuclear medicine , population , lung cancer , radiology , surgery , chemotherapy , vincristine , paleontology , environmental health , biology , cyclophosphamide
No reports have appeared in which specific TNM staging, pretreatment performance status, histopathology, and treatment have been compared in patients with unresectable, limited, epidermoid lung cancer. Prior reports attempt to analyze results obtained in a mixed patient population with lung cancers who have varied prognostic factors. Previous studies have shown that radiotherapy alone is of limited value in prolonging survival even though the primary lesion and mediastinum are treated with up to 6,000 rad but procarbazine plus radiotherapy has been reported to increase median survival. This study was initiated to obtain survival statistics and compare results in patients who were specifically staged and treated. Sixty‐six patients with a PS of 8 to 10 who had biopsy proved epidermoid carcinoma were stratified by TNM staging; 33 patients were treated with oral procarbazine (200 mg/m 2 /d) plus 3,000 rad of radiotherapy (R + P) and 33 patients were treated with radiotherapy alone (R). Median survival times for the two groups (R + P vs. R) was for T3, 17 vs. 44 weeks; N1, 36 vs. 54 weeks; N2, 34 vs. 36 weeks, respectively. Ten patients with Stage Ml disease treated with R or R + P had a median survival of 17 weeks. Low dose radiotherapy seemed superior to combination therapy although there was no statistical difference (p = 0.05). Either treatment produced survival durations equal to those reported with higher levels of radiotherapy. TNM staging was of predictive value for survivorship.