Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent radiation therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent radiation therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods. Between December 2001 and March 2005, 15 patients with locally advanced unresectable stage III NSCLC were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 2 and paclitaxel 40 mg/m 2 given on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, 43 during 66 Gy of thoracic radiotherapy. Results. Enrolled patients were 12 men and 3 women, with the median age of 67 years. Thirteen patients received the scheduled radiotherapy. The cycles of chemotherapy administered ranged from 4 to 7, with a median of 6. Overall toxicities were mild. Grade 3 esophagitis was noted in 1 patient, but there were no cases of grade 3/4 pneumonitis. The overall response rate was 86.7%. The median survival time and 5-year survival rate were 37.7 months and 40.0%, respectively. Conclusion. Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent radiation therapy is feasible and promising for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. © 2007 The Japan Lung Cancer Society.