Randomized trial comparing postoperative chemotherapy with vindesine and cisplatin plus thoracic irradiation with irradiation alone in stage III (N2) non‐small cell lung cancer

This prospective randomized trial was performed to determine whether postoperative chemotherapy with vindesine and cisplatin could lengthen time to progression and overall survival in stage III (T1‐3N2MO) non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Seventy‐two patients were entered; 36 were randomized to receive chemotherapy. Patients were stratified by extent of resection (complete vs. incomplete) and histology (squamous vs. nonsquamous). All had surgery and mediastinal irradiation 6–7 weeks post‐thoracotomy. Incompletely resected patients had intraoperative ¹²⁵I and/or ¹⁹²Ir implantation. Vindesine (3 mg/m²) weekly × 5, then every 2 weeks × 8, and cisplatin (120 mg/m²) days 1, 29, 71, 113 were planned for those randomized to chemotherapy. No difference in time to progression (median 9.2 months for radiation + chemotherapy vs. 9.0 months for radiation, P = 0.35) or overall survival (16.3 months for radiation + chemotherapy vs. 19.1 months for radiation, P = 0.42) was found. Postoperative vindesine and cisplatin did not prolong time to progression or survival in this population of stage III NSCLC. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.