Sourav Chakraborty, Saugata Ghosh
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the commonest cancer having high mortality- it accounts for 13% of all new cancer cases and 19% of cancer related deaths worldwide. In India, lung cancer constitutes 6.9 per cent of all new cancer cases and 9.3 per cent of all cancer related deaths in both sexes; it is the commonest cancer and cause of cancer related mortality in men. MATERIALS AND METHODS Total 115 lung cancer patients (71 in Cisplatin-Etoposide arm and 44 in Carboplatin-Etoposide arm) were recruited in the study over a period of 1 year with follow up for another 4 months after receiving their written informed consent. Selection of chemotherapy regimen was done by treating Oncologist. Patients having severe haematological, renal and hepatic impairment were excluded. All ADRs were graded according to ECOG-CTC criteria- Grade 3&4 were considered serious. Data were analysed using GraphPad Prism version 5 [San Diego, California: Graph Pad Software Inc., 2007] software. Summary statistics were expressed using mean and standard deviation (SD) for numerical variables (median and interquartile ranges when skewed) and counts and percentages for categorical variables. Numerical variables were compared between subgroups by Mann-Whitney U test (for variables with skewed distribution) and unpaired T test (for variables with normal distribution). Fisher’s exact test was employed for intergroup comparison of categorical variables. RESULTS Majority were male [89 (84%)]. Median [inter quartile range (IQR)] age was 69 (61 -72) years. Majority belongs to upper lower and lower middle socioeconomic group Histologically SCLC were more common [n=79(75%)] followed by NSCLC [n=27(25%)]. All patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage (stage IIIB/IV). The majority was belonging to stage IV [n=67 (63%)] followed by stage IIIB [n=39 (37%)]. History of smoking revealed that a substantial number of patients (95.28%) consumed tobacco in any form. CONCLUSION The study demonstrated higher incidence of Haematotoxicity and Hepatotoxicity in Carboplatin and that of nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity and Emetotoxicity in Cisplatin. Statistically significant higher incidence of leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and severe thrombocytopenia is seen in Carboplatin, whereas statistically significant higher incidence of nausea, vomiting, nephrotoxicity (↑BUN, ↑Creatinine) is seen in Cisplatin group. A further multicentric Interventional study needs to be conducted on a larger number of populations to confirm these findings.
