RANDOMIZED STUDY OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND SURGERY VERSUS RADIOTHERAPY FOR STAGE IIIA NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER - A NATIONAL-CANCER-INSTITUTE OFCANADA CLINICAL-TRIALS GROUP-STUDY

Thirty-one patients with stage IIIA (N2) non-small-cell lung cancer we re randomized to receive radiotherapy alone or chemotherapy with cispl atin and vinblastine followed by surgery. Response rates to induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy were 50% and 53.3% respectively. Complet e surgical resection was possible for 62.5% of patients. Median surviv al times were 16.2 and 18.7 months for radiotherapy alone and chemothe rapy-surgery respectively (P = Ns), with no long-term improvement in s urvival seen with combined-modality treatment.