Treatment adherence in concurrent chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma: results of daily intravenous prehydration

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that daily intravenous pre-hydration decreases renal toxicity and improves chemotherapy adherence in patients receiving daily cisplatin to concurrent radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients and methods: Patients with locally advanced NSCLC were treated between 2008 and August 2012 with daily 6 mg/m(2) cisplatin as a bolus injection in 10 ml; of saline and 66 Gy/24 fr radiotherapy in 32 days. Since January 2011, the administration of cisplatin was routinely preceded by intravenous pre-hydration with 1L of natriumchloride 0.9%. Patients were divided in a pre-hydrated (PH) and non-pre-hydrated (NPH) cohort. Serum-creatinine and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were assessed twice weekly during treatment. Retrospectively, baseline data, toxicity, treatment adherence and efficacy data were compared.

Results: Of the 356 patients 232 NPH patients and 100 PH patients were eligible. Patient-and treatment characteristics compared equally. The median of the maximum decrease in GFR was 24% and 8% for NPH and PH (p<0.01), respectively. Sixty-nine percent of the patients in the NPH group completed the 24 administrations of cisplatin, as compared to 83% of the PH group (p<0.01). Nineteen percent vs. 2% of the patients in the NPH and PH group discontinued cisplatin treatment because of renal toxicity. Surprisingly, the incidence of acute esophageal toxicity grade ⩾ 2 decreased following prehydration: 62% vs. 34% (p<0.001) for the NPH and PH groups, respectively. The one-year survival was comparable between groups (75% for NPH and 71% for PH).

Conclusion: Daily pre-hydration was associated with a reduced rate of both renal and acute esophageal toxicity and an increased chemotherapy adherence in patients receiving daily dose of cisplatin and concurrent radiotherapy for locally advanced NSCLC.