MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with stage IIIA(N2) non-small cell lung cancer, lung resection, preferably by lobectomy, should be considered in addition to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, according to a study published online July 27 in The Lancet.
Kathy S. Albain, M.D., of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Ill., and colleagues conducted a stage III trial of two treatment regimes for stage T1-3pN2M0 non-small cell lung cancer. While 202 patients underwent concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by resection, 194 underwent standard concurrent chemotherapy and definitive radiotherapy without resection.
The number of patients alive at five years was 37 in the resection group compared to 24 in the group without surgical resection, the investigators found. They further note that the former group had better rates of progression-free survival at a median 12.8 months, versus 10.5 months for the non-resection group.
"Medically healthy patients with stage IIIA(N2) non-small cell lung cancer should be assessed by a team skilled in multimodality treatment, and treatment options can be considered during assessment," the authors write. "On the basis of the findings of our study, patients should be counseled about the risks and potential benefits of definitive chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with and without a surgical resection (preferably by lobectomy)."
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Comment (subscription or payment may be required)
