[Current status of the chemotherapy for lung cancer]

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 2002 May;29(5):684-94.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

In the treatment of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC) and unresectable locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer, several phase III trials and meta-analysis have demonstrated the following: 1) combining chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation is better than chemotherapy alone or radiotherapy alone, 2) the concurrent use of chemoradiotherapy has been expected a better survival than the sequential use, 3) the improvement in outcome seen with a concurrent chemoradiotherapy approach may be because of spatial cooperation, enhanced radiosensitization, and/or enhanced cytotoxicity, and 4) the chemoradiotherapy is tolerable without significant morbidities, such as pneumonitis and esophagitis. However, the chemoradiotherapy is still an investigational strategy because of the absence of a definite schedule and dose on radiotherapy. Newer, more tolerable chemotherapeutic agents, molecular biologic novel approaches and newer irradiated procedures are now being investigated.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Camptothecin / administration & dosage
  • Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives
  • Carboplatin / administration & dosage
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy*
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / radiotherapy*
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Docetaxel
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Humans
  • Irinotecan
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage
  • Paclitaxel / analogs & derivatives*
  • Survival Rate
  • Taxoids*

Substances

  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel
  • Irinotecan
  • Carboplatin
  • Paclitaxel
  • Cisplatin
  • Camptothecin