Alternating chemotherapy and twice-daily thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: a pilot study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

PURPOSE

This pilot study was undertaken to determine the efficacy and feasibility of alternating cisplatin and etoposide with multiple daily fractions of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-four SCLC patients received four courses of cisplatin (30 mg/m2/d x 3) plus etoposide (120 mg/m2/d x 3) (PE) every 3 weeks. TRT was administered twice daily (1.5 Gy per fraction) for 5 consecutive days in the week after cycles 1, 2, and 3 of chemotherapy (total TRT dose, 45 Gy). Patients who achieved a complete response (CR) received one course of late-intensification (LI) treatment consisting of cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) and etoposide (900 mg/m2). Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was optional.

RESULTS

Nineteen of 32 assessable patients achieved a CR (59%) and 12 had a partial response (38%), for an overall response rate of 97% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84% to 99%). Median survival was 18 months, while 2-year progression-free survival was 47%. Leukopenia < or = 1,000/microL occurred in 12% of induction treatment cycles. Severe esophagitis was uncommon. Pulmonary fibrosis that was asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic was observed in eight patients (25%). There was one episode of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during LI chemotherapy. Life-threatening neutropenia (< or = 500/microL) developed in all patients who underwent LI chemotherapy, with a median duration of 10 days (range, 8 to 19). Two patients died of sepsis during LI chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Alternating PE and TRT as performed in this trial is an effective brief induction regimen for limited-stage SCLC. However, this particular regimen did not appear to be substantially different in terms of efficacy or toxicity compared with regimens using concurrent chemotherapy and standard-fraction TRT. LI chemotherapy was associated with unacceptable toxicity and did not appear to have a favorable impact on survival.