The Site-dependent Differences in Response to Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer

Kim, Kee Won; Lee, Sook Kyung; Seo, Jee Won; Park, Suk Young; Lee, Kyung Shik

Abstract

PURPOSE: To detennine the extent and the clinical significance of site-dependent differences in response to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic lung cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed the records of patients with metastatic lung cancer who had received chemotherapy and were evaluated for the response of primary lung and metastatic lesions simultaneously. Total 52 patients were eligible.
RESULTS
The discordance rate of response between primary lung lesion and various metastatic lesions was 0% (0/51) at regional lymph nodes, 12% (1/8) at distant lymph nodes, 45% (5/11) at hematogenous metastatic lung lesion, 0% (0/7) at liver, 50% at adrenal glands, and 21% (3/14) at bone. As a result, the concordance rate of response amang lymph nodes, liver, and primary lung lesions was high. But some differences in response were observed at intrapulmonary metastatic lesion, adrenal glands, and bone lesions in comparison with primary lung lesion.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that the effective therapeutic strategies against those discordant metastatic lesions should be developed to increase the overall treatment effect in patients with metastatic lung cancer.