1993 Volume 5 Issue 3 Pages 217-225
Two hundred fifty-three patients with clinical stage III non-small cell lung carcinoma treated by radiation therapy alone at Seoul National University Hospital between 1979 and 1987 were retrospectively analysed. Median follow-up period was 52 months, ranged from 44 to 100 months. One hundred twenty-four patients were stage IIIA and 103 patients were stage IIIB. The overall survival at 2 and 5 years for all patients was 14.8% and 4.3%, respectively with median survival of 9 months. No difference was observed in median survival time between stage IIIA and IIIB (10 vs 9 months p = 0.29), in 2-year survival rate (18.4% vs 10.5%) or in 5-year survival rate (4.9% vs 3.5%). In a multivariate analysis, N-stage was related to survival. For stage IIIA patients, the 2-year survival rate with NO-1 and N2 was 32.5% and 12.8%(p=0.0056), respectively. For stage IIIB patients, the 2-year survival rate for N0-2 and N3 was 12.8% and 6.4%, respectively (p=0.05). A total of 198 patients had failed after treatment. Of 178 patients who were evaluable for the failure sites, local failure alone and as a component of overall failures occurred in 100 patients (56%) and 28 patients (16%), respectively. Distant metastasis was noted in 44% of the overall failures.
As local failure is a major component of overall failure, new therapeutic strategies should be considered in the management of stage III non-small cell lung carcinoma.
