Concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy for limited unresectable non-small cell carcinoma of the lung. A phase...

We treated nine patients diagnosed as inoperable, but localized non-small cell lung cancer with aggressive high-dose radiation therapy and two cycles of concomitant cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) to determine the feasibility of this approach for this disease. This combined modality program was well tolerated by seven of our nine patients. One who had a poor initial performance status died of sepsis. Another could not tolerate the nausea and vomiting. Only one patient has suffered a local failure inside the irradiated areas. Eight have died, and 5 of 9 survived at least 1 year. The survival is at least consistent with that associated with radiation therapy alone.