Thoracic radiation therapy and Adriamycin/cisplatin-containing chemotherapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

One-hundred nine patients with limited-stage unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer were treated with Adriamycin--cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation. Of this number, 73 received chemotherapy (one course) prior to irradiation and 37% (27/73) had tumor regression following chemotherapy alone. Sixty-eight percent of patients (73/107) experienced tumor regression following combined chemotherapy and irradiation. Age more than 65 years, a malignant ipsilateral pleural effusion, and no response to chemotherapy alone were all strong negative prognostic factors. Three-year survivals were as follows: all 109 patients, 14.0%; 89 patients without malignant pleural effusion, 17.0%; 71 patients with neither a malignant pleural effusion nor malignant ipsilateral supraclavicular adenopathy, 23.1%.