Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin and docetaxel followed by surgery and consolidation chemotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Aims To evaluate preoperative concomitant chemoradiation using cisplatin plus docetaxel followed by consolidation chemotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods Medical records of patients with locally advanced unresectable NSCLC (stage IIIA and IIIB) treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy using cisplatin + docetaxel combination followed by consolidation chemotherapy were retrospectively evaluated. All the patients were consecutively treated. Chemotherapy consisted of weekly cisplatin 20 mg/m² and docetaxel 20 mg/m² during radiotherapy. Radiotherapy dose was 58–66 Gy given in 2 Gy fractions, 5 days per week. The patients were subsequently referred to surgery if adequately downstaged. Consolidation chemotherapy using cisplatin and docetaxel both at doses 75 mg/m² every 3 weeks followed local therapy in all patients. Results A total of 54 patients were evaluated (49 males, 5 females with a median age of 58 years; 41 [75.9%] stage IIIB and 13 [24.1%] IIIA). Twelve patients (22.2%) achieved pathologic complete response and 20 (37%) partial response. Downstaging was possible in 32 patients (59.3%). Twenty-six patients (48.1%) were operated after concomitant chemoradiotherapy (pneumonectomy [n = 2], lobectomy [n = 12], and wedge resection [n = 12]). Toxicity was tolerable. Median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort were 14 and 22 months, respectively. In resected patients (n = 26), median PFS and OS have not been reached with a median follow-up duration of 24 months. Conclusion Preoperative concomitant chemoradiation using weekly cisplatin and docetaxel followed by surgery and consolidation chemotherapy is effective and well tolerated in patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC.