Thoracic radiation therapy alone compared with combined chemoradiotherapy for locally unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. A randomized, phase III trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the survival of patients with medically inoperable or unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated with thoracic radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Design: Randomized, prospective phase III trial.

Setting: Multi-institutional cooperative oncology group.

Patients: A total of 121 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 7 (5.8%) were ineligible. All patients were ambulatory and had measurable or evaluable disease. Before they were randomized, patients were stratified by ECOG performance score, histologic type, maximum tumor diameter, and NCCTG institution.

Interventions: Radiotherapy consisted of a total of 5000 cGy in 5 weeks with a 1000 cGy boost in 5 fractions to a small tumor field. Combined modality therapy was MACC which is intravenous methotrexate, intravenous doxorubicin, intravenous cyclophosphamide, and oral lomustine (CCNU), on day 1 and 28. Chemotherapy was followed by identical thoracic radiotherapy 4 weeks after the second cycle of chemotherapy. Four weeks after thoracic radiotherapy was completed, patients received another two cycles of identical chemotherapy. Patients who had progression of disease after chest irradiation only were treated with MACC chemotherapy.

Main results: Major clinical responses were observed in 31 of 56 (55%; 95% Cl, 42% to 68%) patients treated with combination therapy and 37 of 58 (64%; Cl, 51% to 76%) treated with radiation only (P greater than 0.2). The median time to progression was 192 days with radiotherapy only compared with 199 days for combined modality therapy (P greater than 0.2). The median survival time was 313 days compared with 317 days, respectively (P greater than 0.2). The 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates after thoracic radiation only were 45% (Cl, 32% to 58%), 16% (Cl, 6% to 25%), and 7%. With chemoradiotherapy, the survival rates were 46% (Cl, 33% to 60%), 21% (Cl, 11% to 32%), and 5%, respectively. Myelosuppression was significantly greater for the combined modality therapy arm (P = 0.002).

Conclusion: Chemotherapy with MACC, in combination with thoracic radiotherapy, did not result in significant survival advantage compared with radiation alone (P greater than 0.2) in patients with medically inoperable or unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer.