Outcomes of patients with stage III nonsmall cell lung cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiation with and without surgery

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with improved outcome after treatment for stage III nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A retrospective review of stage III NSCLC patients treated at who were treated at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center was done with institutional review board approval. Patients were followed for toxicity, local and distant failure, and overall survival. Multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with treatment outcome. RESULTS: Between August 2000 and November 2006, 144 patients received concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) for stage III NSCLC. Eighty of 144 patients were men (56%), and the median age was 61 years (range, 33-81 years). Sixty-two patients (43%) had stage IIIA NSCLC, and 82 patients (57%) had stage IIIB NSCLC. Radiotherapy (RT) was given concurrently with chemotherapy to all patients; 100 patients (69%) received CRT without surgery, and 44 patients (31%) received with neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgical resection. The median RT dose was 60 grays (Gy) (range, 46-70 Gy). The median follow-up was 15 months (range, 3-64 months), the median potential follow-up was 37 months (range, 12-84 months), and the median overall survival was 22 months (95% confidence interval, 15-28 months). The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 68% and 47%, respectively. Among the 44 patients who underwent resection, the median survival was 61 months, and the 2-year survival rate was 73%. On multivariate analysis, stage at the time of treatment (stage IIIA vs stage IIIB) and use of surgery were the only factors associated with improved outcome (P=.01 and P=.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective series, those patients who were able to undergo resection appeared to have improved outcome after induction CRT.