Treatment and survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer stage IIIA diagnosed in 1989-1994: a study in the region of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre East, The Netherlands

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the treatment policy and survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) clinical stag e IIIA in daily practice. We selected 212 patients, who had been diagnosed between 1989 and 1994 and registered by the Cancer Registry, Comprehensive Cancer Centre East (CCCE). Diagnostic tests comprised chest X-ray and bronc hoscopy in all cases but one, computed tomography in 89%, mediastinoscopy i n 55% and conventional tomography of the chest in 16%. NSCLC had been verif ied histologically in 88% and cytologically in 12%. The initial treatment f or the primary tumor had been surgery alone in 13% of the patients, surgery plus radiotherapy in 8%, radiotherapy alone in 56%, chemotherapy in 1% (th ree patients, one in addition to surgery); 22% received none of these treat ments. Median survival of the 212 patients was 9.4 months (95% confidence i nterval 8.3-11.0 months). Overall survival rates after 1, 2 and 3 years wer e 41, 17 and 8%, respectively. Three-year survival of the patients who had undergone surgery, surgery plus radiotherapy, radiotherapy alone and no tre atment was 18, 19, 6 and 4%, respectively. Treatment was an independent pro gnostic factor (multivariate Cox's proportional hazards analysis adjusted f or sub-stage, age, number of co-morbid diseases and hospital). In the same model, the Hazard rate ratio for one hospital relative to the five others w as 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.2-2.8). Surgery (whether or not in combin ation with radiotherapy) independently gave the best results. In conclusion , policies varied between hospitals, although the variation in overall surv ival was small except at one hospital. New regional management guidelines a re in preparation. Physicians will be encouraged to follow these guidelines , both with regard to diagnostic tests and to treatment policies, as our st udy showed that differences in policy might lead to differences in survival . (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.