Alternating chemotherapy and twice-daily thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: a pilot study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

PURPOSE: This pilot study was undertaken to determine the efficacy and feasibility of alternating cisplatin and etoposide with multiple daily fractions of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four SCLC patients received four courses of cisplatin (30 mg/m2/d x 3) plus etoposide (120 mg/m2/d x 3) (PE) every 3 weeks. TRT was administered twice daily (1.5 Gy per fraction) for 5 consecutive days in the week after cycles 1, 2, and 3 of chemotherapy (total TRT dose, 45 Gy). Patients who achieved a complete response (CR) received one course of late-intensification (LI) treatment consisting of cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) and etoposide (900 mg/m2). Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was optional. RESULTS: Nineteen of 32 assessable patients achieved a CR (59%) and 12 had a partial response (38%), for an overall response rate of 97% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84% to 99%). Median survival was 18 months, while 2-year progression-free survival was 47%. Leukopenia < or = 1,000/microL occurred in 12% of induction treatment cycles. Severe esophagitis was uncommon. Pulmonary fibrosis that was asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic was observed in eight patients (25%). There was one episode of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during LI chemotherapy. Life-threatening neutropenia (< or = 500/microL) developed in all patients who underwent LI chemotherapy, with a median duration of 10 days (range, 8 to 19). Two patients died of sepsis during LI chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Alternating PE and TRT as performed in this trial is an effective brief induction regimen for limited-stage SCLC. However, this particular regimen did not appear to be substantially different in terms of efficacy or toxicity compared with regimens using concurrent chemotherapy and standard-fraction TRT. LI chemotherapy was associated with unacceptable toxicity and did not appear to have a favorable impact on survival.