Combination Chemotherapy and Computer-Planned Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Unresectable Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: Induction/Concurrent Chemotherapy and Dose-Escalated Three Dimensional Thoracic Radiation for Patients With Stage III Non Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Phase II Study

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Computer systems that allow doctors to create a 3-dimensional picture of the tumor to plan treatment may result in more effective radiation therapy. It is not yet known which chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy regimen is more effective in treating non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of different combination chemotherapy regimens and 3-dimensional radiation therapy in treating patients who have unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Clinical Trial Description

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the overall response rate, failure-free survival, and survival of patients with inoperable stage IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin with concurrent 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-D XRT) vs gemcitabine and carboplatin with concurrent 3-D XRT.

• Compare the toxicity of these regimens in these patients.

• Compare the pattern of failure (locoregional vs distant failure) in patients treated with these regimens.

• Determine the feasibility of delivering 3-D XRT to patients in this multicenter study.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours followed by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 2 courses. Patients then receive paclitaxel IV over 1 hour followed by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes once weekly and 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-D XRT) once daily 5 days a week. Treatment repeats weekly for 7 courses.

• Arm II: Patients receive gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8 followed by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 2 courses. Patients then receive gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes twice weekly and 3-D XRT as in arm I. Treatment repeats weekly for 7 courses.

In both arms, treatment continues in the absence of disease progression.

Patients are followed every 2 months for 2 years, every 4 months for 2 years, and then annually for 2 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 82 patients (41 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 9 months. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
• Lung Cancer
• Lung Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT00033553
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: March 2002
• Completion date: June 2010