Preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery compared with primary surgery in resectable stage I (except T1N0), II, and IIIa non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) could improve survival in resectable stage I (except T1N0), II, and IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized trial compared PCT to primary surgery (PRS). PCT consisted of two cycles of mitomycin (6 mg/m(2), day 1), ifosfamide (1.5 g/m(2), days 1 to 3) and cisplatin (30 mg/m(2), days 1 to 3), and two additional postoperative cycles for responding patients. In both arms, patients with pT3 or pN2 disease received thoracic radiotherapy. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-five eligible patients were randomized. Overall response to PCT was 64%. There were two preoperative toxic deaths. Postoperative mortality was 6.7% in the PCT arm and 4.5% in the PRS arm (P =.38). Median survival was 37 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.7 to 48.3) for PCT and 26.0 months (95% CI, 19.8 to 33.6) for PRS (P =.15). Survival differences between both arms increased from 3.8% (95% CI, 1.3% to 25.1%) at 1 year to 8.6% (95% CI, 2.64% to 24.4%) at 4 years. A quantitative interaction between N status and treatment was observed, with benefit confined to N0 to N1 disease (relative risk [RR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.96; P =.027). After a nonsignificant excess of deaths during treatment, the effect of PCT was significantly favorable on survival (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.99; P =.044). Disease-free survival time was significantly longer in the PCT arm (P =.033). CONCLUSION: Although impressive differences in median, 3-year, and 4-year survival were observed, they were not statistically significant, except for stage I and II disease.

Major changes in lung cancer over the last ten years in France: the KBP-CPHG studies.

The incidence of lung cancer has dramatically increased in ten years, being now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in females. Considering social and scientific evolution, the aim of the present study conducted by the French College of General Hospital Respiratory Physicians (CPHG) was to compare patient and lung cancer characteristics at a ten-year interval. Two epidemiological studies, KBP-2000-CPHG and KBP-2010-CPHG, were conducted at a ten-year interval. These prospective multicentre studies included all patients ≥ 18 years of age with primary lung cancer diagnosed between 1st January and 31st December 2000 or 2010, and managed in the respiratory departments of one of the participating general hospitals. A standardised form was completed for each patient. A steering committee checked recruitment exhaustiveness. Respectively, in 2000 and 2010, 137 and 104 centres included 5667 and 7051 patients. Compared to 2000, patients in 2010 were significantly older (65.5 ± 11.3 vs. 64.3 ± 11.5 years, p < 0.0001), more frequently women (24.3% vs. 16.0%, p < 0.0001) and never-smokers (10.9% vs. 7.2%, p < 0.0001). In 2010, adenocarcinoma was the most common tumour (45.4%, vs. 29.0% in 2000, p < 0.0001). The adenocarcinoma rate increased irrespective of sex, age, or smoking status (relative risk [RR] before and after adjustment, RR = 2.07 [1.92-2.24], p < 0.0001 and 2.06 [1.90-2.23], p < 0.0001). In ten years, lung cancer characteristics have therefore changed: more women, more never-smokers, and more adenocarcinomas. The particular high increase in adenocarcinoma rate deserves further analysis.

Chemotherapy effectiveness after first-line gefitinib treatment for advanced lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (formerly advanced bronchioloalveolar carcinoma): exploratory analysis of the IFCT-0401 trial.

HYPOTHESIS: This study explored whether chemotherapy after first-line gefitinib was effective in patients with advanced lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA), formerly advanced bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, who were enrolled in the Intergroupe Francophone de Cancérologie Thoracique (IFCT)-0401 trial. METHODS: Overall, 88 patients presenting advanced LPA were enrolled in the IFCT-0401 trial, receiving gefitinib as first-line therapy. No predefined second-line treatment was mandatory in the case of progression or limiting toxicity under gefitinib. However, the carboplatin plus paclitaxel regimen was recommended for patients with a performance status (PS) 0 or 1 and gemcitabine monotherapy for those with a PS 2. For these patients, data concerning treatment efficacy was collected from the IFCT-0401 trial database. RESULTS: In total, 47 patients (53%) received second-line treatment after the failure of gefitinib, with 43 having PS 0 or 1. Regarding treatment, 43 were treated with chemotherapy, with 38 receiving a platinum-doublet regimen (taxane-based, n = 29; gemcitabine-based, n = 9) and five receiving monotherapy (gemcitabine, n = 3; pemetrexed, n = 2). The overall response rate (ORR) to chemotherapy was 21% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10-36), disease control rate 56% (95% CI: 40-71), and median progression-free survival (PFS) 3.0 months (95% CI: 2.4-4.9). For patients receiving a platinum doublet (n = 38), ORR was 21% (95% CI: 10-37), with disease control rate being 55% (95% CI: 38-71), and median PFS 2.9 months (95% CI: 2.4-4.4). For patients receiving taxane-based regimen (n = 29) and gemcitabine-based regimen (n = 12), ORR was 28% and 0%, respectively, with a median PFS of 3.3 and 2.0 months, respectively, (p = 0.0243). The two patients receiving pemetrexed experienced a prolonged response. Multivariate Cox model analysis revealed that only the use of taxane-based chemotherapy or pemetrexed was related to PFS. CONCLUSION: Platinum-doublet chemotherapy showed some effectiveness in treating advanced LPA patients after first-line gefitinib. Our findings also suggest that taxane-based chemotherapy and pemetrexed should be investigated further in future clinical trials.