Effects of different chemoradiotherapy schemes on the prognosis of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of different chemoradiotherapy ( CRT) schemes on the prognosis of extensive?stage small?cell lung cancer ( SCLC ) . Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in 322 patients with extensive?stage SCLC who were admitted to our hospital from 2011 to 2015.All patients received standard EP/CE ( etoposide+cisplatin/carboplatin) chemotherapy. According to RECIST criteria, the efficacy of chemotherapy was divided into complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease ( PD). A total of 232 patients without PD after chemotherapy were enrolled as subjects and divided into radiotherapy group (n=187) and non?radiotherapy group (n=45).The patients undergoing radiotherapy were further divided into early radiotherapy group ( before 3 cycles of chemotherapy, n=65) and late radiotherapy group (after 3 cycles of chemotherapy, n=122),or concurrent CRT group ( n=45 ) and sequential CRT group ( n=142 ) . The survival rates were analyzed using the Kaplan?Meier method. Between?group comparison was made by log?rank test. The Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis. Results In all the patients, the median overall survival ( OS ) , progression?free survival (PFS),and local recurrence?free survival (LRFS) time was 13?2,8?7,and 14?6 months, respectively. The non?radiotherapy group had significantly shorter median OS, PFS, and LRFS time than the radiotherapy group ( 8?7 vs. 15?0 months, P=0?00;5?6 vs. 9?8 months, P=0?00;5?9 vs. 19?2 months, P=0?00).There were no significant differences in median OS, PFS, or LRFS time between the early radiotherapy group and the late radiotherapy group ( 15?4 vs. 14?6 months, P=0?720;8?0 vs. 10?8 months, P=0?426;19?2 vs. 18?1 months, P=0?981) . The concurrent CRT group had significantly longer median OS time than the sequential CRT group (19?4 vs. 13?8 months, P=0?036),while there were no significant differences in median PFS or LRFS time between the two groups ( 10?8 vs. 9?8 months, P=0?656;19?8 vs. 17?8 months, P= 0?768 ) . Generally, patients undergoing radiotherapy had increased incidence rates of adverse reactions than those without radiotherapy (P=0?038).However, the incidence rates of grade ≥3 adverse reactions were similar between the two groups ( P=0?126) . Conclusions In the treatment of extensive?stage SCLC, thoracic radiotherapy improves the treatment outcomes without increasing the incidence rates of severe adverse reactions. When to receive radiotherapy has nothing to do with the prognosis. Concurrent CRT may further improve the treatment outcomes, which still needs further studies.