A retrospective analysis of prognostic factors for 160 patients with stage III small cell lung cancer.

Abstract

In some patients with stage III small cell lung cancer (SCLC), it is found that the treatment mode of systemic chemotherapy followed by auxiliary radiotherapy is better than early radiotherapy, but there is no clear evidence-based medical explanation for this. This study was designed to retrospectively evaluate prognostic factors for patients with stage III SCLC and explore the best treatment mode for locally advanced SCLC. A total of 160 patients with stage III SCLC who underwent chemotherapy or chest radiotherapy were enrolled in this study, including 103 patients at stage IIIA and 57 patients at stage IIIB. The short-term and long-term outcomes following chemotherapy and chest radiotherapy were compared between the two groups. There was no significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) (9.5 vs. 10.0 months, P=0.065) or overall survival (OS) (14.0 vs. 14.0 months, P=0.231) between early radiotherapy and late radiotherapy in stage IIIA SCLC. PFS in stage IIIB patients was longer in the late radiotherapy group than in early radiotherapy (11.0 vs. 9.0 months, P=0.041), but the difference in OS was not statistically significant between the two groups (14.0 vs. 17.0 months, P=0.110). There was no significant difference in short-term and long-term therapeutic effects between stages IIIA and IIIB. Patients with stage IIIB who received late radiotherapy seemed to have a survival advantage, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.549). Treatment mode had no impact on patients at stage IIIA. Late radiotherapy showed more effectiveness for patients at stage IIIB.