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OBJECTIVE We investigated the outcomes of radiotherapy (RT) combined with systemic chemotherapy (CHT) including carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. METHODS This retrospective study included 105 patients. Treatment involved concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel with RT administered weekly followed by two cycles of consolidation carboplatin and paclitaxel administered triweekly. RESULTS Comorbid disease was present in 46 (48.6%) patients. At least four cycles of CHT in the concurrent phase and both cycles of CHT in the consolidation phase were able to be administered to 92.3% and 45.4% of patients, respectively. The most common type of toxicity in the entire treatment protocol was hematological toxicity (34.8%). The objective response rate was 71.4%. Overall, recurrence was found in 71 (67.6%) patients. The most common type of recurrence was distant metastasis, which occurred in 47 (66.2%) patients. The median progression-free survival was 14 months. The 1, 2, and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 59%, 30%, and 26%, respectively. The median overall survival was 27 months. The 1, 2, and 3-year overall survival rates were 81%, 57%, and 34%, respectively. CONCLUSION The survival outcomes in this study closely match those reported in the literature. This is notable because our study included a higher proportion of patients with additional health conditions and fewer concurrent CHT cycles during RT compared to randomized studies. These findings prompt us to consider what the ideal number of concurrent CHT cycles should be when using modern involved-field RT techniques after accurate disease staging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is a significant health problem for refugees and host countries. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among refugees. The subject of our study is to examine the clinical and pathological features of Syrian refugees with breast cancer and compare them with Turkish patients with breast cancer. Methods: Data of patients with breast cancer between January 2018 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical and histological features, treatment modalities and overall survival were collected and analyzed. Results: A total number of 338 women with breast cancer were included in this study. Ninety-nine of the 338 (29.3%) patients were Syrian refugees and 239 patients (70.7%) were Turkish. The median follow-up time was significantly lower in Syrian patients (P < 0.001). Median OS was 146 months in Turkish and 116 months in Syrian group (P = 0.022). Independent risk factors associated with long survival were receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.465; 95% CI 0.234-0.926; P = 0.029), adjuvant radiotherapy (HR 0.372 95% CI 0.182-0.758; P = 0.007), and adjuvant hormonotherapy (HR 0.367; 95% CI 0.201-0.669; P = 0.001). The rates of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant radiotherapy, and adjuvant hormonal therapy were significantly lower in the Syrian group (P = 0.023, P = 0.005, P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: Syrian refugees with breast cancer are more likely to receive suboptimal treatments. They have inferior survival compared to local patients. Our findings highlight the need for the provision of cancer therapy in such vulnerable populations. We suggest that more attention should be paid to breast cancer, as it is the most common cancer among refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]