Palliative chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

摘要: Lung cancer was one of the first cancers to be treated with chemotherapy, back in late 1940s.1 Yet today lung (other than small cell tumours) remains Cinderella medicine, left behind as chemotherapy is increasingly used for other neoplasms. Palliative radiotherapy can provide good relief localised symptoms patients inoperable disease.2 Sooner or later, however, most develop metastatic disease, and message they receive remains, “I'm sorry, there's nothing further we do.” A recent survey chest physicians, surgeons, oncologists Britain showed offered only 8% non-small actually given 5% (Cancer Research Campaign, data on file, 1991). Is this nihilism justified? Advanced certainly lacks chemosensitivity - sometimes dramatic type, but it by no means completely resistant drugs. Response rates 30-40% are consistently reported modern regimens,3 more intensive …