The addition of amifostine to carboplatin and paclitaxel based chemoradiation in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Long-term follow-up of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) randomized trial 9801
Mené sur 243 patients atteints d'un cancer du poumon non à petites cellules de stade II ou IIIA/B (durée médiane de suivi : 96,3 mois), cet essai randomisé évalue l'intérêt de l'amifostine, un adjuvant cytoprotecteur, pour réduire le risque d'œsophagite associé à une chimioradiothérapie par carboplatine et paclitaxel
Introduction We report the long-term results of RTOG 9801, a randomized trial investigating the ability of amifostine, a radioprotector, to reduce chemoradiation-induced esophagitis. Methods Patients with stages II and IIIA/B non-small-cell lung cancer received induction paclitaxel 225 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) and carboplatin area under the curve (AUC) 6 both days 1 and 22, followed by concurrent weekly paclitaxel (50 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 2), with hyperfractionated radiation therapy (69.6 Gy at 1.2 Gy BID). Patients were randomly assigned to amifostine (AM) 500 mg IV four times per week or no-AM during chemoradiotherapy. Stratification factors included age (<70 vs. ≥70 years), stage and performance status. Results 243 patients (pts) were enrolled; 120 received AM, 123 received no-AM. Two pts on each arm were found ineligible. Overall, 85% of patients were ≤70 years; 75% had a KPS ≥90. 34% had squamous histology. With median follow-up of 96.3 months (for patients still alive), overall survival was identical (hazard ratio 1.03 (0.79–1.34), NS): five-year survival 17% in both arms. The incidence of late grade 3–5 toxicities was 16% in the AM arm and 19% in the control arm (hazard ratio 1.24 (0.66–2.32), NS). There was no significant difference between the arms regarding overall survival, disease-free survival or long-term toxicity. Conclusion The chemoradiation regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel produced long-term results in the multi-institutional setting comparable to other regimens. Amifostine did not appear to compromise survival. As done in RTOG 9801, more consistent reporting of long term toxicity is needed for comparison of different chemoradiation regimens.