Chemotherapy response as a prognosticator for survival in patients with limited squamous cell lung cancer treated with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Robert T. Eagan, Thomas R. Fleming, Robert E. Lee, James N. Ingle, Stephen Frytak, Edward T. Creagan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Twenty-two patients with limited unresectable squamous cell lung cancer were treated with 6 courses of combination chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, cisplatin, and bleomycin (CAP-Bleo) and short-course thoracic irradiation started after the first 4 weeks of chemotherapy. Of 20 patients with visible tumor who were treated with 4 weeks of chemotherapy alone, 10 (50 %) had a tumor regression in that 4 week period and 10 did not. Those patients with tumor regression had significantly better progression free and overall survivals than did patients with no chemotherapy regressions (medians of 258 days vs. 136 days and 356 days vs. 150 days respectively). The original bleomycin dose had to be reduced by 50 % primarily because of excessive radiation esophagitis that has not been reported with use of either the CAP regimen or bleomycin along in conjunction with thoracic irradiation. An initial chemotherapy regression seems to be a good prognosticator for progression-free and overall survival in patients with limited squamous cell lung cancer treated with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)879-883
Number of pages5
JournalInternational journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
Volume6
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1980

Keywords

  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Squamous cell lung cancer

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiation
  • Oncology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Cancer Research

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