A PILOT-STUDY OF CONCURRENT WHOLE-BRAIN RADIOTHERAPY AND CHEMOTHERAPYCOMBINED WITH CISPLATIN, VINDESINE AND MITOMYCIN IN NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER WITH BRAIN METASTASIS

We have evaluated the feasibility, toxicity, and tumour response of co ncurrent whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and chemotherapy with cisplat in, vindesine and mitomycin in the treatment of 33 patients with brain metastasis from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The imaging respo nse demonstrated that 25 patients (75.8%) responded to brain lesions, including five complete responders, and the response rate to primary l esion was 18%. The treatment improved at least one grade of performanc e status in 30% and of neurological functions in 55% of the patients. The major toxicity was leucopenia (greater than or equal to grade 3, 8 4.4%). Median survival was 9.7 months and the 1-year survival rate was 40%. Concurrent WBRT and chemotherapy can be safely administered to p atients with brain metastasis from NSCLC, with a remarkable response r ate, improvement of neurological functions and encouraging survival du ration.