A phase II study of accelerated high-dose thoracic radiation therapy (AHTRT) with concurrent chemotherapy for limited small cell lung cancer: RTOG 0239

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Background: Inter-group(IG) study 0096 showed that hyperfractionated and accelerated radiotherapy (HFXART) and concurrent etoposide/cisplatin(EP) improved 5-yr survival (26 %) for patients (pts) with limited small cell lung cancer (LSCLC) compared to daily treatment (TRT) with EP (16%), (p=0.04), HFXART/ EP still had high local failure (LF 40 %) and acute severe esophagitis (ASE) rate (27%). Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0239 was developed to improve local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) without increasing ASE.Methods: Eligibility included limited stage SCLC, age ≥ 18; P.S. 0–1, with adequate hematologic, hepatic, and renal function. RT was given to large field to 28.8 Gy: 1.8 Gy/ fraction (Fx), 5 days (d) / wk for 16 Fx followed by BID with AP/PA fields in AM @ 1.8 Gy /Fx; boost with 2nd treatment in PM @ 1.8 Gy/Fx on d: 23–26; then off-cord boost, 1.8 Gy, BID, x last 5 days for a total dose of 61.2 Gy in 5 wks. EP was started on day 1 of TRT with P, 60 mg/m2 i.v; E, 120 mg/m2 i.v.; E, 240 mg/m2 p.o. d 2 and 3 or E 120 mg/m2 i.v. / d on d 2 or 3. Repeat cycle every 3 wks x 2 cycles with RT, followed by adjuvant EP alone x 2 cycles. CR pts were asked to participate in the prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) study RTOG 0212. RTOG 0239 was designed to detect an improvement in the 2-year survival rate from 47% to 60% with less than 30% of ASE.Results: RTOG 0239 accrued 72 pts (71 eligible) from June 20, 2003 to May 23, 2006. The median follow-up time is 19.0 months for all pts, and 30.4 months for pts still alive. The median age was 63, 52% female, 58% Zubrod PS 0. The 2 -year survival rate was 37 % [95% CI: 25.6, 47.7]. 13 pts (18 %) experienced severe esophagitis. 2 treatment related deaths (2.8%) were reported. Response rates 2 months post RX showed CR 41%, PR 39%, SD 10% and PD 6%. Locoregional control rate at two years was 80%. RT compliance was 95 %.Conclusions: RTOG 0239, AHTRT/EP for LSCLC resulted in 37% 2-year OS, 80% 2 year LC and 18% ASE. Compliance with treatment was high and treatment-related death rate was similar to other chemoradiation regimens. Although 2-year OS did not achieve 60%, excellent LC and low ASE were achieved by RTOG 0239 which became one of 3 arms in an ongoing randomized trial of LSCLC RTOG0538/CALGB30610.

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Adenocarcinoma of the lower esophagus with Barrett's esophagus or without Barrett's esophagus: differences in patients' survival after preoperative chemoradiation

It remains unclear whether the overall survival (OS) of patients with localized esophageal adenocarcinoma (LEA) with Barrett's esophagus (BE) (Barrett's-positive) and those with LEA without BE (Barrett's-negative) following preoperative chemoradiation is different. Based on the published differences in the molecular biology of the two entities, we hypothesized that the two groups will have a different clinical biology (and OS). In this retrospective analysis, all patients with LEA had surgery following preoperative chemoradiation. Apart from age, gender, baseline clinical stage, location, class of cytotoxics, post-therapy stage, and OS, LEAs were divided up into Barrett's-positive and Barrett's-negative groups based on histologic documentation of BE. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analytic methods were used. We analyzed 362 patients with LEA (137 Barrett's-positive and 225 Barrett's-negative). A higher proportion of Barrett's-positive patients had (EUS)T2 cancers (27%) than those with Barrett's-negative cancer (17%). More Barrett's-negative LEAs involved gastroesophageal junction than Barrett's-positive ones (P = 0.001). The OS was significantly shorter for Barrett's-positive patients than that for Barrett's-negative patients (32 months vs. 51 months; P = 0.04). In a multivariate analysis for OS, Barrett's-positive LEA (P = 0.006), old age (P = 0.016), baseline positive nodes (P = 0.005), more than 2 positive (yp)N (P = 0.0001), higher (yp)T (P = 0.003), and the use of a taxane (0.04) were the independent prognosticators. Our data demonstrate that the clinical biology (reflected in OS) is less favorable for patients with Barrett's-positive LEA than for patients with Barrett's-negative LEA. Our intriguing findings need confirmation followed by in-depth molecular study to explain these differences.

Significance of thromboembolic phenomena occurring before and during chemoradiotherapy for localized carcinoma of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction

Thromboembolic event (TEE) is the most common complication and a second cause of mortality in cancer patients. Multiple hypotheses for occurrence of TEE have been proposed. There are no reports on the frequency/impact of TEE in localized gastroesophageal cancer patients. We hypothesized that TEE at baseline and during chemoradiotherapy (CTRT) in gastroesophageal cancer patients would have an impact on overall survival (OS) of these patients. All consecutive patients with gastroesophageal cancer undergoing CTRT from 2001 to 2004 were eligible for this analysis. Baseline and subsequent TEEs were documented and correlated with patient characteristics and OS. One hundred ninety-eight patients were analyzed. TEEs were documented in 9.6% of the patients. At baseline, TEEs were documented in 4.0% of the patients. During CTRT, TEEs were documented in 6.1% of the patients. Pulmonary embolism (43.5%) and lower extremity venous thromboses (39%) were the most frequent TEEs. Median OS for patients with a TEE occurring at anytime was 17.7 versus 32.0 months for patients who never developed a TEE (P = 0.014). TEEs at baseline correlated with poor median survival: 13.1 versus 30.7 months for those without a TEE (P = 0.029). In a multivariable analysis, TEE at baseline and/or during CTRT was an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio, 1.818; P = 0.040). Our data are the first to document the frequency of TEE in gastroesophageal cancer patients undergoing CTRT, and that TEE is an independent prognosticator of OS. Active research to prevent and treat TEEs is needed to improve survival of patients with localized gastroesophageal cancer.