This study was planned to evaluate the role of
chemotherapy in improving survival in patients with inoperable
lung cancer. Seventy eight patients with histologically proven
lung cancer were followed up for a period of one year. Thirty eight out of them received
chemotherapy and 40 patients received supportive care only. Main outcome measure was survival from the date of diagnosis. The patients receiving
chemotherapy had a median survival of 23.2 weeks compared to that of 10.1 weeks in patients receiving best supportive care. Among patients with
non-small cell lung cancer, median survival was 27.0 weeks in
chemotherapy group and 10.3 weeks in supportive care group. Patients who received
cisplatin plus
docetaxel combination had a better survival than those who received MIC (
mitomycin,
ifosfamide,
cisplatin) combination. Patients with good performance status benefited more from
chemotherapy, although patients with poorer performance status also had significant improvement in survival with
chemotherapy. In conclusion,
chemotherapy results in a modest, but significant improvement in survival in patients with inoperable
lung cancer compared to best supportive care alone.