Survival Difference of Combination Chemotherapy versus Supportive Care in the Patients with Stage Ⅳ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

4기 비소세포폐암 환자에서 복합화학요법군과 보존적치료군의 생존율 비교연구

Background : The survival benefit of combination chemotherapy comparing supportive care to patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancel, especially stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients with metastatic disease, is controversial. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the difference in survival between patients treated with chemotherapy and those who were not and to identify prognostic factors in the patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Methods : From January 1989 to December 1994, total 67 patients including 20 patients treated with combination chemotherapy and 47 patients treated with only supportive care in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients with metastatic disease were enrolled in this study. Combination chemotherapy consisted of etoposide $120mg/m^2$ iv for 3 days and cis-platin iv day 1 every 4 weeks. The treatment groups were retrospectively analyzed by age, sex, histologic cell type, weight loss, serum LDH level, ECOG performance status and major organ metastasis. Results : The significant prognostic factors influencing survival on this study were ECOG performance status and histologic subtype. Overall response rate by combination chemotherapy was 30%(complete response 0%, partial response 30%). Median survival of overall patients was 13.6 weeks and median survival of Chemotherapy group, 20 weeks, was significantly longer than that of supportive care group, 11.7 week(p<0.01). Median survival of responded in patients receiving chemotherapy, 45.5 weeks, was significantly longer than that of non-responder, 17.3 weeks(p<0.05). 1 year-survival rate of chemotherapy group and supportive care group was 15N and 8%, respectively. Nausea or vomiting, alopecia and anemia were seen in nearly most cases after this combination chemotherapy. Toxicities above grade 3 included neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, infection, fever, nausea, vomiting and alopecia. But this combination chemotherapy was relatively well tolerated except one treatment-related death from sepsis associated with severe granulocytopenia. Conclusion : These results suggest that systemic chemotherapy might be helpful to the stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients with good performance status and large scale randomized prospective trials should be performed.

연구배경 : 복합화학요법이 진행성, 특히 원격전이를 가진 4기 비소세포폐암 환자들의 생존율을 향상시킬 수 있는 지에 대해서는 아직까지 논란의 대상이 되고 있다. 이에 저자들은 원격전이가 증명된 4기 비소세포폐암 환자에서 cis-platin을 근간으로 한 복합화학요법군과 보존적 치료군의 생존율 차이를 평가하고, 생존율에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 예후 인자를 조사하여 보고하고자 한다. 방법 : 대상환자는 1989년 1월부터 1994년 12월까지 5년간 영남대학교 의과대학 부속병원에 내원하여 조직병리학적으로 비소세포폐암으로 진단된 환자 중 원격전이가 증명된 4기 환자, 총 89명에서 평가 가능한 환자 67명을 대상으로 하였고, 67명의 환자를 항암화학요법군과 보존적 치료군으로 나누고 항암화학요법군은 다시 반응군과 비반응군으로 나누어 생존율과 예후인자를 조사하였다. 결과 : 1) 4기 비소세포폐암 환자에서 생존율에 영향을 주는 의미있는 예후인자는 ECOG 기준에 따른 전신수행상태와 조직형이었다. 2) 전체 대상환자의 중앙생존기간은 13.6주였고 복합화학요법군의 중앙생존지간은 20주로써 보존적 치료군의 11.7주에 비해 길었다(p<0.01). 3) 복합화학요법에 반응이 있었던 환자들의 중앙생존기간은 45.5주로써 비반응군의 17.3주에 비해 의미있게 길었다(p<0.05). 4) 복합화학요법군의 1년 생존율은 15%, 보존적 치료군은 8%였다. 5) 복합화학요법의 부작용은 비교적 수용할 만 했다. 결론 : 전신수행상태가 양호하고 젊은 4기 비소세포폐암 환자들에 대해서 보다 적극적인 항암화학치료가 필요할 것으로 사료되며 앞으로 많은 환자를 대상으로 한 전향적 연구가 이루어져야 할 것이다.