LONG-TERM SURVIVAL AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY CONTAINING PLATINUM DERIVATIVESIN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED UNRESECTABLE NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

The study set out to determine the rate of long-term survivors (LTS) i n patients treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), to identify prognostic factors pre dicting longterm survival (greater than or equal to 2 years) and to re port the LTS natural history. Eligible patients with advanced NSCLC tr eated by chemotherapy in one of seven trials conducted by the European Lung Cancer Working Party from December 1980 to August 1991 were incl uded. All patients received cisplatin and/or carboplatin. Of these, 10 52 patients were eligible and 24 variables were analysed as potential prognostic factors. Actuarial 2-year and 5-year survival rates were, r espectively, 7.4 and 1.8%. All patients surviving for greater than or equal to 5 years had limited disease and were treated by complementary chest irradiation and/or surgery. Univariate prognostic factor analys is for LTS identified as significant no major weight loss, limited dis ease, no liver metastases, normal white blood cells and neutrophils an d normal lactic dehydrogenase levels. By multivariate analysis, the on ly significant factor was limited disease. Objective response to chemo therapy was also found to be, as disease extent, a highly significant predictor for LTS. Thus, the two best prognostic factors for LTS were non-metastatic disease and response to chemotherapy.