Adjuvant chemotherapy following radical surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer: a randomized study on 70 patients

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy after radical surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Seventy patients with NSCLC (stages I-III) undergoing radical surgery were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (n = 35): combination group, which received adjuvant chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2, vincristine 1.4 mg/m2, adriamycin 50 mg/m2, and lomustine 50 mg/m2 on day 1, and cisplatin 20 mg/m2 on days 1-5. The treatment was repeated every 4-6 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by oral administration of ftorafur (FT-207) 600-900 mg/d for 1 year. Group 2 (n = 35): surgery group, which received surgical treatment only.

Results: The overall 5-year survival rate was 48.6% in the combination group versus 31.4% in the surgery group, and difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (chi 2 = 3.09, P > 0.05). The 5-year survival rate for patients with stage III disease was 44% and 20.8% in the combination and surgery groups, respectively, showing a statistically significant difference (chi 2 = 5.28, P < 0.025). The 5-year survival rates of patients in stages I-II in the two groups were 60.0% and 54.5%, respectively, and were not significantly different (chi 2 = 0.03, P > 0.75).

Conclusion: Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy provides statistically significant improvement in the 5-year survival rate only in patients with stage III NSCLC.