A Randomized Phase III Trial of Surgery Alone or Surgery Plus Preoperative Paclitaxel/Carboplatin in Clinical Stage IB (T2N0), II (T1-2N1, T3N0) and Selected IIIA (T3N1) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare survival of patients with previously untreated stage IB, II, or selected IIIA non-small cell lung cancer after preoperative chemotherapy comprising paclitaxel and carboplatin plus surgery vs surgery alone.
• Compare these regimens in terms of operative mortality and other toxic effects in these patients.
• Evaluate the response rates (confirmed and unconfirmed) and toxic effects associated with combined paclitaxel and carboplatin in these patients.
• Obtain samples for correlation of radiologic, pathologic, molecular, and biologic factors with the outcome in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to clinical stage (IB or IIA vs IIB or IIIA).

Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms:

• Arm I: Patients undergo thoracotomy. All accessible hilar (level 10) lymph nodes are dissected, and complete mediastinal lymph node sampling is performed.
• Arm II: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours followed by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for a maximum of 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Within 2-6 weeks of course 3, patients undergo thoracotomy and lymph node dissection as in arm I.