Induction or consolidation chemotherapy for unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation: a retrospective study

Aim: The objective of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of induction or consolidation chemotherapy on survival in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) patients who were treated by curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).Material and Methods: Patients were randomised to CCRT, induction chemotherapy followed by CCRT or CCRT followed by consalidation chemotherapy retrospectively. A platinum-based doub-let cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen used as induction/consalidation. Patients who received 60 Gy or more were included in the study. These patients had received two or more cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy concurrently with definitive radiation therapy.Results: A total of 114 patients were included in the study. 32 (28%) patients were in CCRT arm; 54 (47%) patients were in induction arm and 28 (25%) patients were in consalidation arm.Median overall survival (OS) was found as 21.9±14.0 months and 2 year and 3-year survival as %46 and 33% in all patients. Median OS did not differ between arms; with a median OS of 29.7±8.8 months, 23±2.9 months and 16.8±3.5 months in the CCRT arm, in the induction arm and in the consolidation arm (p:0.54). The 2 years OS was 53%, 50% and 32% (p:0.48) and 3 years OS was 40%, 33% and 25% ( p:0.40) in the CCRT arm, the induction arm in the consalidation arm without a significiant difference.Conclusion: In this retrospective study, platin-based chemotherapy as induction or consolidation with concurrent chemoradiotherapy failed to further prolong OS. The standart of care for unresectable stage III NSCLC is still concurrent chemoradiotherapy .