Science / Medicine : Lung Cancer Chemotherapy

Doctors last week reported finding the first tentative evidence that chemotherapy may be able to help control lung cancer, the nation’s leading killer among cancers.

Four studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology produce at least a hint that platinum-based drugs, combined with radiation and sometimes surgery, may help prolong patients’ survival.

While none of the research suggests anything close to a cure for lung cancer, the most encouraging results were presented by Dr. Robert O. Dillman of the Scripps Clinic of San Diego.

Like the other studies, his was conducted on people whose cancer was too extensive to be removed surgically but had not spread beyond the chest. Typically, such people are treated with radiation, which slows but does not stop the disease.

He treated 240 patients with radiation and chemotherapy or with radiation alone.