Adjuvant chemotherapy following radical surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer: a randomized study on 70 patients

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy after radical s urgery for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Seventy patients with NSCLC (stages I - III) undergoing radical sur gery were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (n = 35): combination group, which received adjuvant chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m(2), vin cristine 1.4 mg/m(2), adriamycin 50 mg/m(2), and lomustine 50 mg/m(2) on da y 1, and cisplatin 20 mg/m(2) on days 1 - 5. The treatment was repeated eve ry 4 - 6 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by oral administration of ftorafur (F T-207) 600 - 900 mg/d for 1 year. Group 2 (n = 35): surgery group, which re ceived surgical treatment only. Results The overall 5-year survival rate was 48.6% in the combination group versus 31.4% in the surgery group, and difference between the two groups w as not statistically significant (chi(2) = 3.09, P > 0.05). The 5-year surv ival rate for patients with stage III disease was 44% and 20.8% in the comb ination and surgery groups, respectively, showing a statistically significa nt difference (chi(2) = 5.28, P < 0.025). The 5-year survival rates of pati ents in stages I-II in the two groups were 60.0% and 54.5%, respectively, a nd were not significantly different (chi(2) = 0.03, P > 0.75). Conclusion Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy provides statistically signi ficant improvement in the 5-year survival rate only in patients with stage III NSCLC.