Advanced epidermoid lung cancer: prolonged survival after chemotherapy

The charts and pathologic reports for 4 patients seen at our institution with advanced incurable epidermoid carcinoma of the lung, who had prolonged disease-free survival after chemotherapy, were reviewed. All patients had Stage III bronchogenic carcinoma. Our study indicates that patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the lung who achieve a complete response have a better survival than those patients who have a partial response or no response. All complete responses were achieved after two to three months of chemotherapy, and if a response is not seen by then a modification of the treatment program is recommended. We propose that complete response should be considered the most important prognostic factor for therapeutic trials in epidermoid carcinoma of the lung.