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Evaluation of response to chemotherapy with fiberoptic bronchoscopy in non‐small cell lung cancer
Author(s) -
Ihde Daniel C.,
Cohen Martin H.,
Simms Elisabeth B.,
Matthews Mary J.,
Bunn Paul A.,
Minna John D.
Publication year - 1980
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(19800401)45:7<1693::aid-cncr2820450729>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - medicine , bronchoscopy , adenocarcinoma , lung cancer , chemotherapy , radiology , small cell carcinoma , discontinuation , respiratory disease , large cell , carcinoma , epidermoid carcinoma , cancer , lung , oncology , pathology
Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed before and during administration of chemotherapy in 32 patients with unresectable non‐small cell carcinoma of the lung. Pretreatment findings varied with the histologic cell type. Direct visual and/or pathologic evidence of cancer was obtained in 11 of 11 patients with epidermoid, in 5 of 7 with large cell, and in 9 of 14 with adenocarcinoma. In 5 of the 32 patients, intrathoracic tumor was documented at bronchoscopy but not by chest x‐ray. During chemotherapy, one of five episodes of response and eight of 21 episodes of chest tumor progression were detected solely by bronchoscopy, while in an additional two objective responses and six progressions, bronchoscopic and radiographic findings simultaneously improved or deteriorated. The likelihood of documenting disease progression by bronchoscopy also depended upon the histologic type of cancer. Enlarging chest tumor found solely by chest x‐ray occurred exclusively in patients with large cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. During chemotherapeutic treatment of our patients, addition of serial bronchoscopic examinations to standard means of assessing tumor response frequently allowed the earlier discontinuation of an ineffective drug regimen.