JAPANESE DOCTORS PREFERRED TREATMENT CHOICES FOR THEIR HYPOTHETICAL NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER - HOW THEY WOULD WISH TO BE TREATED

We conducted a trial to clarify what Japanese clinical doctors think a bout the present status of therapy for non-small cell lung cancer, as well as to clarify which problems are still unresolved. One-hundred fi ve Japanese doctors who treat lung cancer patients were asked how they would choose to be treated, if they suffered from non-small cell lung cancer. Six scenarios were presented and the doctors had to choose on e treatment method for each of the six scenarios. Adjuvant chemotherap y or radiotherapy after complete resection, increase with progression of the pathological stage. Ninety-three per cent of Japanese doctors w anted surgery, even if mediastinal lymph node metastases were present. In the scenario of only one distant metastasis to the brain, 44% of d octors wanted surgery while 39% wanted chemotherapy and/or radiotherap y. In the scenario of multiple bone metastases, 33% wanted chemotherap y, 77% did not. It was concluded therefore that Japanese doctors choos e surgery as the number one treatment modality when all lesions are co nsidered resectable.