Combined chemoradiation therapy for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer

After nearly 4 decades of use in treating small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) tho racic radiation has become integral to the management of limited-stage dise ase. Many prospective randomized trials have demonstrated that adding thora cic radiation therapy to chemotherapy improves locoregional control and sur vival at 3 and 5 years. This has resulted in a greater appreciation of the role of thoracic radiation in the treatment of SCLC. Currently, the most co mmonly used regimens incorporate concurrent administration of cisplatin (Pl atinol) and etoposide (VePesid) chemotherapy and radiation doses of 45 Gy g iven over 5 weeks. However, issues concerning timing, volume, and dose frac tionation remain to be resolved.