Phase I/II study of daily carboplatin, 5-fluorouracil and concurrent radiation therapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

A study was undertaken to determine the maximum tolerated dose, the dose-limiting toxicities and the response rate of carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil administered daily with concurrent thoracic radiation therapy in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. In a phase I/II clinical trial, patients with histologically documented, unresectable stage IIIA or IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were enrolled. Carboplatin (20–40 mg m(−2) 2-h infusion, daily) and 5-fluorouracil (200 mg m(−2) 24-h continuous infusion, daily) were administered concurrently with radiotherapy on days 1–33. Radiotherapy, with a total dose of 60 Gy, was delivered in 30 fractions on days 1–40. In the phase I portion, the daily dose of carboplatin was escalated from 20 to 40 mg m(−2). Once the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of carboplatin was determined, the study entered the phase II portion. In the phase I portion, the daily MTD and RD of carboplatin were 40 and 35 mg m(−2), respectively. The dose-limiting toxicity was neutropenia. In the following phase II study, 30 patients were entered and the objective response rate was 76.7% (95% CI, 62–92%) and the local control rate was 85.7%. The median survival time was 19.8 months, with a survival rate of 70% at 1 year, 36.7% at 2 years. The major toxicities of treatment were neutropenia (⩾grade 3, 87.9%) and thrombocytopenia (⩾grade 3, 23.3%). This combined therapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer is promising and shows acceptable toxicity.