Improving outcomes for limited stage small cell lung cancer patients in Scotland with concomitant chemoradiation.

AIMS: To determine whether the introduction of early concomitant chemoradiotherapy for patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) has resulted in acceptable outcomes and toxicity in a UK practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The case records of all patients with LS-SCLC treated with chemoradiotherapy from July 2001 to 2004 were reviewed, and subjected to descriptive statistics and proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: Concomitant chemoradiotherapy was delivered to 30 patients and sequential chemoradiotherapy was delivered to 36 patients. The former patients tended to be younger (mean 58.9 vs 64.1 years, P=0.01); the latter patients tended to have bulkier disease. There was no difference in performance status, but cisplatin was given more often in the former group (90% vs 44%, P<0.0001). Grade 3 acute oesophagitis occurred in less than 10% of either group and there were no cases of grade 3 or greater pneumonitis. Two-year actuarial survival for the concomitant group was 53% (95% confidence interval 36-71%) and 36% (95% confidence interval 20-52%) for the sequential group (P=0.018). Proportional hazards analysis showed an increased hazard of death with increasing performance status and age, sequential therapy and the use of cisplatin with sequential therapy. CONCLUSION: Concomitant chemoradiotherapy can be safely given in a UK population with outcomes comparable with those reported in North American series.