Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
A Video Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial - Electrochemotherapy of Cutaneous Metastases with Reduced Dose Bleomycin (BLESS Trial)
Published on: June 9, 2026
Randomised trial of sequential versus concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in patients with inoperable non-small cell lung
José Belderbos1, Lon Uitterhoeve, Nico van Zandwijk
1Department of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.belderbos@nki.nl
Unlabelled:
A randomised phase III study was performed comparing sequential (S) and concurrent (C) chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
Methods:
One hundred and fifty-eight patients were randomised to receive two courses of Gemcitabine (1250mg/m(2) days 1, 8) and Cisplatin (75mg/m(2) day 2) prior to, or daily low-dose Cisplatin (6mg/m(2)) concurrent with radiotherapy, consisting of 24 fractions of 2.75Gy in 32 days, with a total dose of 66Gy.
Results:
Acute haematological toxicity grade 3/4 was more pronounced in the sequential (S) (30% versus 6%), oesophagitis grade 3/4 more frequent in the concurrent (C) arm (5% versus 14%). Late oesophagitis grade 3 was 4% (S and C), pneumonitis grade 3/4 14% (S) and 18% (C). Because of the poor power of the study no significant differences in median survival (MS), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) could be detected. MS was 16.2 (S) and 16.5 (C) months, 2-year OS was 34% (S) and 39% (C), 3-year OS was 22% (S) and 34% (C).
Conclusion:
Radiotherapy 66Gy given concurrently with daily low-dose Cisplatin or after two courses of Gemcitabine/Cisplatin was well tolerated. Due to early closure no conclusions can be reached on the relative merits; both arms showed good OS.
