Lung cancer supportive care

Shepherd FA, Dancey J, Ramlau R, et al. Prospective randomized trial of docetaxel versus best supportive care in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol 2000 18(10) 2095-2103. 

Surgery can cure lung cancer, but only one in five patients are suitable for this treatment. If the tumor has not spread outside the chest and does not involve vital structures such as the liver, then surgical removal may be possible, but only if the patient does not also have severe bronchitis, heart disease, or other illnesses. Small cell lung cancer is treated with chemotherapy. Non-small cell cancer may be treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy (as part of a research trial) or with supportive care. Radiotherapy is either radical or palliative. ... 

Cartel G, Cartel F, Cantone A, et al. Cisplatin-cyclophosphamide-mitomycin combination chemotherapy with supportive care versus supportive care alone for treatment of metastatic nonsmall-cell lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1993 85 794-800. 

Earle, C.C. and Evans, W.K., A comparison of the costs of paclitaxel and the best of supportive care in stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer. Cancer Prev. Control, 1, 282, 1997. 

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