Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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Docetaxel is a novel, potentially highly beneficial drug for the treatment of lung cancer, and has shown remarkable radio-sensitizing effects in vitro. In the present study, we evaluated whether weekly docetaxel (20 mg/m(2)) and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy with the two-dimensional (2D) technique could be tolerated and effective in the treatment of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thirty-two stage III (IIIA:13, IIIB:19) NSCLC patients were treated with weekly administration of docetaxel (20 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and 36 in addition to concurrent radiation therapy. ⋯ The median survival time was 12.4 months and 2-year overall survival were 35%. The survival was better in patients whose first radiotherapy port dimensions were less than 150 cm(2) compared to patients whose first radiation port dimensions were >==150 cm(2) (P<0.05). In conclusion, concurrent weekly administration of docetaxel (20 mg/m(2)) with 2D radiotherapy for NSCLC, had good local response, but survival rate was not completely satisfactory due to chemoradiation pneumonitis, which was the principal toxicity that adversely affected prognosis in elderly patients whose radiotherapy port was large.
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Comparative Study
Association between glutathione S-transferase p1 polymorphisms and lung cancer risk in Caucasians: a case-control study.
Glutathione transferases (GSTs), a multiple gene family of phase II enzymes, catalyze detoxifying endogenous reactions with glutathione and protect cellular macromolecules from damage caused by cytotoxic and carcinogenic agents. Glutathione S-transferase p1 (GSTP1), the most abundant GST isoform in the lung, metabolizes numerous carcinogenic compounds including benzo[a]pyrene, a tobacco carcinogen. Previous studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms of GSTP1 exon 5 (Ile105Val) and exon 6 (Ala114Val) have functional effects on the GST gene product resulting in reduced enzyme activity. ⋯ A statistically significant increased risk of lung cancer was also observed for the exon 6 variant genotypes among men (OR=2.17; 95% CI 1.41-3.33), but not among women (OR=0.80; 95% CI 0.51-1.28). Among ever smokers, the exon 6 variant genotypes were associated with an elevated lung cancer risk (OR=1.58; 95% CI 1.14-2.19), which was not evident for never smokers (OR=0.53; 95% CI 0.21-1.33). These data demonstrate that the GSTP1 exon 6 polymorphism, but not the exon 5 polymorphism, is associated with lung cancer risk that is especially evident in men, younger individuals, and ever smokers.