A trial comparing early radiotherapy with late radiotherapy for small cell lung cancer

Cancer type:

Lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 3

This trial looked at the best time to have radiotherapy alongside chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer. This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.

Doctors usually treat small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy. If you have limited disease, you are likely to have radiotherapy as well.

In this trial, the researchers wanted to find out the best time to start having the radiotherapy. Everybody taking part had chemotherapy and the treatment plan was for 6 cycles of treatment.

The aim of the trial was to find out if it is better to start radiotherapy during the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy (early) or during the 6th cycle of treatment (late).

Summary of results

There was no difference in survival between people having early or late radiotherapy. But more people in the early radiotherapy group stopped their chemotherapy because of side effects.

The trial recruited 325 people with limited disease small cell lung cancer

159 people started radiotherapy during the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy
166 people started chemotherapy during the 6th cycle

The researchers followed people for an average of just over 5 years. They also compared their results with the results of other, similar trials (a meta-analysis). They say that this detailed analysis showed that to get good results with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it is important to complete the chemotherapy treatment as planned.

We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item ) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.