Between January 2000 and March 2006, 116 previously untreated patients with histologically proven, stage III NSCLC were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Radiation therapy was administered in 2-Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 60 Gy in combination with docetaxel, 30 mg/m2, and carboplatin at an area under the curve value of 3 every 2 weeks during and after radiation therapy.
The median survival time for the entire group was 25.5 months. The actuarial 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 53 % and 31 % , respectively. The 3-year cause-specific survival rate was 60 % in patients with stage IIIA disease, whereas it was 35 % in patients with stage IIIB disease (p?= 0.007). The actuarial 2-year and 5-year local control rates were 62 % and 55 % , respectively. Acute hematologic toxicities of Grade ? severity were observed in 20.7 % of patients, while radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis of Grade ? severity were observed in 2.6 % and 1.7 % of patients, respectively.
The feasibility of the protocol used in the previous phase II study was reconfirmed in this series, and excellent treatment results were achieved.