Open AccessDoes the response to induction chemotherapy impact the timing of thoracic radiotherapy for limited‐stage small‐cell lung cancer?
Author(s) -
Wang Peng,
Liu Weishuai,
Zhao Lujun,
Wang Ping
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
thoracic cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1759-7714
pISSN - 1759-7706
DOI - 10.1111/1759-7714.12229
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , chemotherapy , lung cancer , stage (stratigraphy) , proportional hazards model , oncology , induction chemotherapy , multivariate analysis , surgery , gastroenterology , paleontology , biology
Abstract Background To investigate whether the response to induction chemotherapy ( IC ) would impact the timing of thoracic radiotherapy ( TRT ) in limited‐stage small‐cell lung cancer ( LS‐SCLC ). Methods A total of 146 patients with LS‐SCLC who had received two to six cycles of IC followed by TRT from J anuary 2009 to D ecember 2011 at our hospital were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the time TRT was administered: early TRT (administered after 2–3 cycles of chemotherapy) or late TRT (administered after 4–6 cycles). Overall survival ( OS ) and progression‐free survival ( PFS ) were analyzed using the K aplan‐ M eier method. M ultivariate C ox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the independent factors affecting survival. Results The median OS for patients who received early TRT and late TRT was 29.0 and 19.9 months, respectively, ( P = 0.018) and the median PFS was 18.5 and 13.8 months, respectively ( P = 0.049). In patients who achieved complete remission ( CR ) or partial remission ( PR ) after two to three cycles of IC , the median OS was 36.1 and 22.5 months in the early and late TRT subgroups, respectively ( P = 0.009); the corresponding median PFS was 20.2 and 13.8 months, respectively ( P = 0.038). In the patients who did not achieve CR or PR , no statistic difference was found in OS or PFS between the two subgroups. Conclusion Patients who received early TRT had more favorable outcomes than those who received late TRT . Patients who achieved CR or PR after two to three cycles of IC obtained more benefit from early TRT .