Systematic review of efficacy of dose-dense versus non-dose-dense chemotherapy in breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-small cell lung cancer.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have suggested a potential advantage of dose-dense chemotherapy in improving disease-free and overall survival in patients with certain malignancies. This systematic review summarizes the literature on the efficacy of dose-dense chemotherapy across various cancers (breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], and non-small cell lung cancer) and chemotherapy regimens. Among the 17 trials identified, few reported statistically significant differences between dose-dense and standard chemotherapy, and most were small with limited statistical power. Statistically significant differences in overall survival favoring dose-dense schedules were apparent among large RCTs in potentially curative settings such as early-stage breast cancer and NHL. Clinical and treatment heterogeneity demonstrated the flexibility of the dose-dense paradigm but also precluded quantitative meta-analysis of results. Further study of dose-dense schedules based on large RCTs is needed to demonstrate the consistency and generalizability of these findings.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Male
- Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
- Lung Neoplasms
- Humans
- Female
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
- Breast Neoplasms
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Male
- Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
- Lung Neoplasms
- Humans
- Female
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
- Breast Neoplasms
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols