• S P Tannehill, M P Mehta, M Larson, B Storer, J Pellet, T J Kinsella, and J H Schiller.
• Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53792-0600, USA.
• J. Clin. Oncol. 1997 Aug 1; 15 (8): 2850-7.

PurposeTo determine the effect of amifostine on the safety and efficacy of induction chemotherapy with high-dose cisplatin and vinblastine followed by large-field thoracic irradiation to 60 Gy in patients with stage IIIA or IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Patients And MethodsTwenty-six patients with unresectable stage IIIA or IIIB NSCLC were entered onto the study between May 1991 and November 1994. Patients received amifostine (740 or 910 mg/m2) followed by cisplatin (120 mg/m2) on days 1 and 29. Vinblastine (5 mg/m2) was given weekly for 5 weeks with no amifostine pretreatment. Following chemotherapy, patients received amifostine (340 mg/m2 4 days a week for 5 weeks, or 200 mg/m2 5 days a week for 6 weeks) 15 minutes before definitive thoracic radiation therapy to a total dose of 60 Gy in 6 weeks.ResultsTwenty-five patients were assessable for response and survival. The objective response rate was 60%. One-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 55%, 23%, and 23%. There was no grade 3 or greater renal toxicity during chemotherapy or grade 3 or greater esophagitis during radiation therapy. Neutropenia (secondary to vinblastine use) was the only grade 4 toxicity. There were no treatment-related deaths.ConclusionAmifostine can be administered safely with high-dose cisplatin, vinblastine, and radiation therapy for NSCLC. The response rate and survival data provide no evidence that amifostine impairs response to treatment. Amifostine appears to reduce cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity and radiation-induced esophagitis.

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