Background & objective: Postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of stage III(A) is a hot research topic. This study was to discuss the influence of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy on survival time of patients with completely resected NSCLC of stage III(A).
Methods: Clinical data of 189 patients with completely resected NSCLC of stage III(A) treated in our hospital from Jan. 1995 to Jan. 2000 were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the influence of postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy on patients' survival time.
Results: Median survival time of 68 patients with squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher than that of 121 patients with adenocarcinoma (43.8 months vs. 26.8 months, P=0.038). Of 68 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, median survival time of 21 patients treated by surgeon alone had no significant difference with that of 28 patients received postoperative radiotherapy (42.8 months vs. 45.5 months, P=0.068), and 19 patients received postoperative chemotherapy (42.8 months vs. 52.0 months, P=0.075). Of 121 patients with adenocarcinoma, median survival time of 41 patients treated by surgeon alone has no significant difference with that of 43 patients received postoperative radiotherapy (26.7 months vs. 26.6 months, P=0.555), and 37 patients received postoperative chemotherapy (26.7 months vs.37.9 months, P=0.242).
Conclusions: Pathologic type is the main factor that may affect survival time of patients with resectable NSCLC of stage III(A). Although no statistical significance appeared, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy tend to prolong patients' survival time.