Topotecan and Whole Brain Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Neuhaus T, Ko Y, Muller R P, Grabenbauer G G, Hedde J P, Schueller H, Kocher M, Stier S, Fietkau R
Primary Institution: Johanniter-Krankenhaus, Bonn, Germany
Hypothesis
Does the combination of topotecan and whole brain radiation therapy improve overall survival in patients with brain metastases from lung cancer compared to whole brain radiation therapy alone?
Conclusion
The study found no significant advantage for concurrent radiochemotherapy with topotecan for patients with lung cancer brain metastases.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 96 patients were recruited over 34 months, leading to an interim analysis.
- Overall survival and progression-free survival did not differ significantly between treatment arms.
- Grade 3/4 haematological toxicities were more common in the radiochemotherapy arm.
Takeaway
Doctors wanted to see if adding a drug called topotecan to radiation therapy would help lung cancer patients with brain tumors live longer, but it didn't seem to make a difference.
Methodology
This was an open-label, prospective, multicentric, randomised phase III trial comparing WBRT alone with WBRT plus topotecan.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to slow recruitment and the amendment allowing inclusion of newly diagnosed patients.
Limitations
The study had a low recruitment rate, with only 96 patients enrolled instead of the projected 320.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 18-75 with histologically proven lung cancer and intracerebral metastases.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI (0.83; 2.10) for overall survival; 95% CI (0.73; 2.43) for progression-free survival.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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