Importance of clinical staging in limited small-cell lung cancer: a valuable system to separate prognostic subgroups. The University of Toronto Lung Oncology Group.

PURPOSE

In an attempt to assess the response to treatment and survival of a group of patients treated with standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, we undertook a retrospective review of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients treated by the University of Toronto Lung Oncology Group.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the records of 264 patients with limited SCLC who were treated from 1976 to 1985. Based on radiologic review and physical examination, patients were assigned to three prognostic groups: group 1 (very limited SCLC), negative mediastinoscopy and/or no evidence of mediastinal nodes on radiologic review; group 2, x-ray evidence of mediastinal node involvement or a positive mediastinoscopy; group 3, supraclavicular adenopathy or x-ray evidence of pneumonic consolidation, pleural effusion, or atelectasis. All patients received combination chemotherapy, radiotherapy to the primary site, and prophylactic cranial irradiation.

RESULTS

Complete response was seen in 52% of patients and partial response in 29%. Response rates did not differ among the three prognostic subgroups. The median survival time for patients in group 1 was 15.7 months, compared with 12 months for group 2 and 11 months for group 3 (P = .0175). Projected 5-year survival for group 1 was 18%, compared with only 6% and 2% for groups 2 and 3, respectively. There was no difference among the prognostic subgroups with respect to either local or distant recurrence rates.

CONCLUSION

Using simple clinical staging techniques, we were able to identify a subgroup of patients with very limited SCLC who had a significantly better prognosis. We recommend that randomized clinical trials stratify patients according to the presence or absence of clinically detectable mediastinal lymphadenopathy.