Concurrent Daily Cisplatin and High-Dose Radiation Therapy in Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The purpose of this study was to determine survival, local and distant control, toxicity, and prognostic factors in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT).

Consecutive patients with stage IIIA and IIIB NSCLC (N = 154) staged with ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography were retrospectively selected (2005-2015). CCRT consisted of daily low-dose cisplatin (6 mg/m²) combined with 24 fractions of 2.75 Gy to a total dose of 66 Gy.

During a median follow-up period of 22 months (range, 1-92 months) the median overall survival was 36 months. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 79% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73%-86%), 61% (95% CI, 54%-70%), 52% (95% CI, 43%-60%), and 40% (95% CI, 31%-51%), respectively. The local relapse-free survival at 5 years was 55% (95% CI, 44%-69%). Metastasis-free survival at 5 years was 53% (95% CI, 44%-65%). The incidence of severe gastrointestinal disorders (grade 3-5) was 11%, among which grade 3 radiation esophagitis was 8.4%. The incidence of severe respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders (grade 3-5) was 8.4%, among which grade 3 radiation pneumonitis was 1.3%. Predictors of overall survival were lymph node gross tumor volume (GTV) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.007; 95% CI, 1.000-1.012) and sex (HR, 0.500; 95% CI, 0.320-0.870) in favor of women. Although lymph node GTV was a predictor of treatment toxicity (HR, 1.010; 95% CI, 1.000-1.013), tumor GTV was the predictor for distant metastasis during follow-up (HR, 1.002; 95% CI, 1.001-1.003).

CCRT with daily low-dose cisplatin for locally advanced stage III NSCLC resulted in promising overall survival (3-year survival rate of 52% and 5-year survival rate of 40%) with low toxicity. Lymph node GTV, tumor GTV, and sex were predictors of overall survival, treatment toxicity, and distant metastasis.