Treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: the Southwest Oncology Group experience

Approximately 2,500 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been treated by the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). These data, based on various trials and regimens over a 14-year experience, are evaluated, summarized, and compared with results reported by other cooperative groups. Response rates are higher and 1 year survivals are more frequent in patients with good performance status. Presently available chemotherapy for NSCLC is much more effective in limited (stage III) disease than in extensive (stage IV) disease. In extensive disease patients who are fully ambulatory, cisplatin based combinations have been shown to produce responses of up to 30% and probably exert modest beneficial effects on survival. Nonetheless, current therapies are suboptimal; better ways to use cisplatin and other drugs are needed.