A randomized trial comparing preoperative chemotherapy plus surgery with surgery alone in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

Is Adjuvant Radiochemotherapy Always Mandatory in Patients with Resected N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?

BACKGROUND

 In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the pathologic union for international cancer control (UICC) stage IIIA is a heterogeneous entity, with different forms of N2-lymph node involvement representing different prognoses. Although a multimodality treatment approach, including surgery, systemic therapy, and/or radiotherapy, is almost always recommended, in this retrospective observational study, we sought to determine whether long-term survival might be possible in selected patients who are treated with complete surgical resection alone.

METHODS

 Between 2013 and 2018, we retrospectively identified 24 patients with NSCLC (16 men and 8 women), who were found to have pathologic N2-lymph node involvement, and were treated with complete surgical lung resection and systematic mediastinal and hilar lymph node dissection but no neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment.

RESULTS

 The most frequent reason (n = 14) for forgoing adjuvant treatment was patient refusal. The mean overall survival (OS) was 34.5 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 15.5-53.5 months). The mean disease-free survival (DFS) was 18 months (IQR: 4.75-46.75 months). We identified five patients who survived at least 5 years without recurrence (21%). In each of these cases, the nodal metastases were restricted to a single level and no extracapsular lymph node involvement were detected. Additionally, worse DFS was associated with pT3/4 (vs. a lower T-stage), as well as microscopic lymphovascular invasion.

CONCLUSION

 Although the small sample size precludes any definitive conclusions, it was possible to demonstrate that long-term survival without neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment is possible in some patients if complete tumor and nodal resection is performed.

Controversies and challenges in the pathologic examination of lung resection specimens after neoadjuvant treatment

New therapy approaches in the treatment of surgically resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) challenge the traditional handling and examination of pathology specimens. The increasingly common use of neoadjuvant therapies before surgical resection, due to advantages in novel drug administration, tolerance, and measurement of radiographic and pathologic response compared to adjuvant treatment, has the potential to alter the microscopic tumor appearance and its biology. Currently, many clinical trials use pathologic response as a surrogate endpoint of clinical efficacy, since the extent of residual viable tumor appears to correlate with outcome in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Consequently, pathologic assessment of the extent of residual viable tumor is of paramount importance. However, high level evidence-based guidelines on how to process and evaluate such specimens are lacking. Moreover, while pathologic response has been shown to be associated with survival after chemotherapy, its significance after immunotherapy remains to be determined. Additionally, many clinical trials do not routinely include pathologists in trial design, which may lead to non-standardized evaluation of pathologic response. Although recently, several algorithms have been proposed to address these issues, none of them represents evidence-based recommendations or is universally applied. Therefore, controversies and challenges continue to exist, raising concerns about the validity, reproducibility, and comparability of the results of many neoadjuvant clinical trials. Herein, we discuss the current difficulties in pathologic specimen evaluation following neoadjuvant therapy in NSCLC and propose potential approaches to overcome these challenges.

Surgery after neoadjuvant immunotherapy in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

Surgery is the standard of care for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, as a single modality, surgery for early stage or locally advanced NSCLC remains associated with high rates of local and distant recurrence. The addition of neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy has modestly improved outcomes. While systemic therapy paired with surgery for other malignancies such as breast cancer have resulted in far better outcomes for equivalent stage designations, outcome improvements for operable NSCLC have lagged in part as a result of trials where adjuvant chemotherapy seemed to incur harm for stage IA patients and only modest survival benefit for stage IB–IIIA patients (AJCC 7^th ed.). In recent years, immunotherapy for NSCLC has emerged as a systemic therapy with significant benefit over traditional chemotherapy regimens. These advances with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have opened the door to administering peri-operative immunotherapy for operable NSCLC. As a result, a great multitude of studies investigating the use of immunotherapy in combination with surgery for NSCLC as well as several other malignancies have emerged. In this review, we outline the rationale for neoadjuvant immunotherapy in the treatment of operable NSCLC and summarize the available evidence that include preoperative ICI as a single modality or in combination with systemic agents and/or radiotherapy. Further, we summarize how such treatment trajectories open multiple unique windows of opportunity for scientific discovery and potential therapeutic gains for these vulnerable patients.

Prognostic factors in potentially resectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer receiving neoadjuvant treatment-a narrative review

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in worldwide. The most important treatment for patients with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is surgery. Resected stage II and III NSCLC patients should be offered adjuvant chemotherapy and in patients with resected stage IB disease and with a primary tumor >4 cm this treatment could be considered. The treatment of resectable locally advanced NSCLC should be evaluated within an experienced multidisciplinary team. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be considered in patients with resectable disease and clear candidates for complementary chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has similar impact on overall survival (OS) than adjuvant chemotherapy, however postoperative chemotherapy has more evidence-based support. Immunotherapy is being studied in early and locally advanced NSCLC as a neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. Different prognostic factors have been described in patients with stage III who have received neoadjuvant treatment, which we intend to review in this article.

Adjuvant therapy following induction therapy and surgery improves survival in N2-positive non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment strategies and factors influencing overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in resectable, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mediastinal (N2) lymph node metastasis.

METHODS

All patients undergoing surgery for NSCLC with N2 disease between 2006 and 2016 were included. Treatment approaches included surgery only, neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery, surgery followed by adjuvant therapy, and neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery and adjuvant therapy (triple therapy). Patient clinical and pathologic data were retrospectively collected.

RESULTS

A total of 281 patients were included in the study. In total, 209 patients had neoadjuvant therapy, 47.4% of which went on to received additional adjuvant therapy. The pathologic complete response rate was 12.9%. The treatment strategy which included triple therapy was isolated as a significant contributor to improved OS and DFS. Nodal downstaging (N0) after induction therapy conferred an OS benefit (38.3% vs. 15.6%, p = .03). Patients with single-station N2 disease experienced higher DFS. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy completion rates were higher at the end of the study period compared to the beginning (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who undergo neoadjuvant therapy for N2-positive NSCLC may benefit from additional adjuvant therapy. Single-station N2 disease confers higher DFS. VATS completion rates for lobectomy increase as experience increases.

Bayesian network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer

Objective:

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has increased the survival benefit of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The effects of different neoadjuvant therapies are still controversial. We carried out the study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods:

We performed a search of electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing neoadjuvant treatment. After literature screening and data extraction, efficacy, and safety were analyzed by the Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA).

Results:

A total of 19 RCTs were included, covering 3276 patients and six kinds of neoadjuvant therapies, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy. Erlotinib, the first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine inhibitors (EGFR TKIs), neoadjuvant targeted therapy is best for improving overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), which is superior to other neoadjuvant therapy, such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy with platinum drugs [hazard ratio (HR) 0.39, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.16–0.96], neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14–0.96) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy with non-platinum drugs (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07–0.90). OS of all neoadjuvant therapies is superior to surgery alone, but only neoadjuvant chemotherapy with platinum drugs showed a significant advantage (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59–0.93). Besides, for the stage IIIA N2 NSCLC patients, no significant difference was found between neoadjuvant therapies.

Conclusions:

Targeted neoadjuvant therapy is the best treatment for prolonging PFS. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy with platinum drugs was associated with the better OS benefits for patients with NSCLC, compared with surgery alone. There is no significant difference in the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy for the stage IIIA N2 NSCLC.

Modular Peptide Probe for Pre/Intra/Postoperative Therapeutic to Reduce Recurrence in Ovarian Cancer

Even with optimal surgery, 80% of patients with ovarian cancer will have recurrence. Adjuvant therapy can reduce the recurrence of tumors; however, the therapeutic effect is still not prominent. Herein, we designed a modular peptide probe (T_CDTMP), which can be self-assembled into nanoparticles (NPs) by loading in miR-145-5p or VEGF-siRNA. In vivo, (1) preoperative administration of T_CDTMP/miR-145-5p ensured that NPs were adequately accumulated in tumors through active targeting and increased the expression of miR-145-5p in tumors, thereby inducing tumor cell apoptosis. (2) Intraoperatively, most of the tumors were removed, while the microscopic residual tumors were largely eliminated by T_CDTMP/miR-145-5p-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT). (3) Postoperatively, T_CDTMP/VEGF-siRNA were given for antiangiogenesis therapy, thus delaying the recurrence of tumors. This treatment was named a preoperative (T_CDTMP/miR-145-5p)||intraoperative (surgery and PDT)||postoperative (T_CDTMP/VEGF-siRNA) therapeutic system and abbreviated as the PIP therapeutic system, which reduced the recurrence of ovarian cancer in subcutaneous tumor models, intraperitoneal metastasis models, and patient-derived tumor xenograft models. Our findings provide a therapeutic system based on modular peptide probes to reduce the recurrence of ovarian cancer after surgery, which provides a perspective for the surgical management of ovarian cancer.

Immunotherapy Moves to the Early-Stage Setting in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Emerging Evidence and the Role of Biomarkers

Despite numerous advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy in the last decade, lung cancer continues to present the highest mortality rate of all cancers. Targeted therapy based on specific genomic alterations, together with PD-1 and CTLA-4 axis blocking-based immunotherapy, have significantly improved survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and both therapies are now well-established in this clinical setting. However, it is time for immunotherapy to be applied in patients with early-stage disease, which would be an important qualitative leap in the treatment of lung cancer patients with curative intent. Preliminary data from a multitude of studies are highly promising, but therapeutic decision-making should be guided by an understanding of the molecular features of the tumour and host. In the present review, we discuss the most recently published studies and ongoing clinical trials, controversies, future challenges and the role of biomarkers in the selection of best therapeutic options.

Advances in the Treatment of Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) traditionally has involved combinations of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical resection. Although the multimodality approach remains standard, only a fraction of patients with stage III lung cancer can undergo complete resection, and long-term prognosis remains poor. The PACIFIC trial generated significant enthusiasm when it demonstrated that the programmed death ligand-1 inhibitor, durvalumab, improved survival in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC after completion of definitive concurrent chemoradiation. This article reviews the indications for traditional therapies in stage III NSCLC and highlights ongoing advances that have led to the incorporation of novel therapeutic agents.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Improves Survival in pN-positive Clinical Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Neoadjuvant Therapy and Resection

BACKGROUND

The utility of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) after neoadjuvant therapy and curative intent surgery for clinical stage IIIA (cIIIA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not defined. We sought to evaluate the contribution of AC to overall survival (OS) in patients with cIIIA NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative intent surgical resection.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried from 2010 to 2016 for patients with cIIIA NSCLC who underwent curative intent surgical resection after neoadjuvant therapy. Patients were grouped by receipt of AC, and OS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The association between mortality and AC was evaluated using Cox regression. Ninety-day landmark and propensity score-matched analyses were performed to address bias associated with early postoperative morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS

Of 3847 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 780 received AC (20.2%). In the unadjusted cohort there was no difference in 5-year OS between the AC and no AC groups (42.8% vs 43.9%, P = .105). Cox regression demonstrated a decreased risk of mortality in pN > 0 patients receiving AC (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.92; P < .003), whereas no difference was seen in node-negative patients (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.17; P = .64). In the propensity score-matched groups OS was significantly increased in pN > 0 patients who received AC (5-year OS: 42.4% vs 37%, P < .01), whereas no survival benefit was seen in those who were pN0.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with completely resected cIIIA NSCLC after neoadjuvant therapy, AC is associated with an increase in OS for patients with residual pathologic lymph node involvement.

Is invasive mediastinal staging necessary in intermediate risk patients with negative PET/CT?

Background

Tumor involvement of mediastinal lymph nodes is of high importance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Invasive mediastinal staging is recommended in selected patients without evidence of mediastinal involvement on staging by imaging. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of invasive mediastinal staging in reducing pN2, its impact on survival and the risk factors for occult pN2.

Methods

Patients with NSCLC tumors larger than 3 cm, central tumors or cN1 cases treated in our institution between 2013 and 2018 were prospectively included in the study. Incidence of pN2 and overall survival was compared among invasively staged (IS) and non-invasively staged groups (NIS). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors of pN2.

Results

A total of 201 patients were included in the study, 79 (39.3%) of whom were not invasively staged (NIS group) and 122 (60.7%) were invasively staged (IS group). Incidence of cN1 and mean PET/CT uptake was different among both groups. Prevalence of pN2 was similar in both groups (7.6% in NIS vs. 12.6% in IS; P>0.05). Median survival in IS-pN2 patients was 11 months longer than in NIS-pN2 group (33.6 vs. 22.5 months; P=0.245). cN1 emerged as the only a risk factor for pN2.

Conclusions

Invasive staging does not reduce the incidence of pN2. However, this finding could be biased because in our series cN1 patients were more often staged and cN1 has been detected as a risk factor for pN2. In addition patient better selection after invasive staging might have an impact on overall survival. To conclude, invasive mediastinal staging in intermediate risk patients for positive mediastinal nodes is justified.

Resectable IIIA-N2 Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): In Search for the Proper Treatment

Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer accounts for one third of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the time of initial diagnosis and presents with a wide range of clinical and pathological heterogeneity. To date, the combined multimodality approach involving both local and systemic control is the gold standard for these patients, since occult distant micrometastatic disease should always be suspected. With the rapid increase in treatment options, the need for an interdisciplinary discussion involving oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and radiologists has become essential. Surgery should be recommended to patients with non-bulky, discrete, or single-level N2 involvement and be included in the multimodality treatment. Resectable stage IIIA patients have been the subject of a number of clinical trials and retrospective analysis, discussing the efficiency and survival benefits on patients treated with the available therapeutic approaches. However, most of them have some limitations due to their retrospective nature, lack of exact pretreatment staging, and the involvement of heterogeneous populations leading to the awareness that each patient should undergo a tailored therapy in light of the nature of his tumor, its extension and his performance status.

Feasibility of Surgical Resection After Induction Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy for N2 Lung Adenocarcinomas

BACKGROUND

Prognosis of patients with stage IIIA-N2 lung adenocarcinoma is still not optimistic. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety, feasibility, and outcomes of surgery after induction epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in a clinical trial setting.

METHODS

Fourteen patients with IIIA-N2 lung adenocarcinoma and epidermal growth factor receptor mutation received erlotinib induction followed by surgery in a phase II clinical trial. Perioperative outcomes and survival results were compared with a control group of 15 patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the same time period.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients showed partial response to induction, whereas 16 patients remained stable. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen level in the erlotinib group was significantly higher than in the chemotherapy group before treatment but was reduced to similar levels after induction. Operation time, blood loss, resection extents, complete resection rates, postoperative drainage, complication rates, and length of hospital stay were all comparable between the 2 groups. Thoracoscopic resection was accomplished in 78.6% of patients in the erlotinib group and 80.0% of patients in the chemotherapy group (P = .924) but was higher in patients who responded to induction than those who did not (92.3% vs 68.8%, P = .119). A resection extent greater than lobectomy and incomplete resections were only seen in stable disease after induction. No significant difference was detected in 1-year and 3-year overall or disease-free survivals between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Pulmonary resection is safe and feasible after induction treatment with erlotinib for stage IIIA-N2 lung adenocarcinomas. Better surgical and oncologic outcomes may be expected in patients who respond to effective induction therapies.

Long-term outcomes following neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer: a propensity-matched analysis

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival outcomes of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for T1-4N0-1M0 disease.

Methods

Patients with pT1-4N0-1M0 between 2010 and 2015 who received pre- or postoperative (R0 resection) chemoradiotherapy were identified. The exclusion criteria included N2 or M1 disease, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. The staging was recalculated according to the new 8th edition TNM classification. Survival and predictors were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model. Propensity-score matching with a ratio of 2:1 was performed to reduce bias in various clinicopathological factors.

Results

Of the 1,769 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 407 and 814 were included in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy group, respectively, after propensity-score matching. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were 38.1% and 40.0% for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and 26.3% and 26.5% for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, respectively [P<0.0001, hazard ratio (HR): 0.7418, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6434-0.8553; P<0.0001, HR: 0.7444, 95% CI: 0.6454-0.8587)]. When stratified by stage, stage IIA (P=0.4166, HR: 0.8575, 95% CI: 0.5917-1.243) and IIIA (P=0.0740, HR: 0.7687, 95% CI: 0.5748-1.028) did not show improved 5-year OS in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. When stratified by age, similar trends were observed for patients aged more than 75 years. The multivariable analysis showed a significant association of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with better survival.

Conclusions

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy might improve the long-term survival of patients with stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For patients aged more than 75 years, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was not associated with an improvement in survival.

Neoadjuvant atezolizumab and chemotherapy in patients with resectable non-small-cell lung cancer: an open-label, multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Approximately 25% of all patients with non-small-cell lung cancer present with resectable stage IB-IIIA disease, and although perioperative chemotherapy is the standard of care, this treatment strategy provides only modest survival benefits. On the basis of the activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, we designed a trial to test the activity of the PD-L1 inhibitor, atezolizumab, with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel given as neoadjuvant treatment before surgical resection.

METHODS

This open-label, multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial was done at three hospitals in the USA. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older and had resectable American Joint Committee on Cancer-defined stage IB-IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, and a history of smoking exposure. Patients received neoadjuvant treatment with intravenous atezolizumab (1200 mg) on day 1, nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m²) on days 1, 8, and 15, and carboplatin (area under the curve 5; 5 mg/mL per min) on day 1, of each 21-day cycle. Patients without disease progression after two cycles proceeded to receive two further cycles, which were then followed by surgical resection. The primary endpoint was major pathological response, defined as the presence of 10% or less residual viable tumour at the time of surgery. All analyses were intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02716038, and is ongoing but no longer recruiting participants.

FINDINGS

Between May 26, 2016, and March 1, 2019, we assessed 39 patients for eligibility, of whom 30 patients were enrolled. 23 (77%) of these patients had stage IIIA disease. 29 (97%) patients were taken into the operating theatre, and 26 (87%) underwent successful R0 resection. At the data cutoff (Aug 7, 2019), the median follow-up period was 12·9 months (IQR 6·2-22·9). 17 (57%; 95% CI 37-75) of 30 patients had a major pathological response. The most common treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (15 [50%] of 30 patients), increased alanine aminotransferase concentrations (two [7%] patients), increased aspartate aminotransferase concentration (two [7%] patients), and thrombocytopenia (two [7%] patients). Serious treatment-related adverse events included one (3%) patient with grade 3 febrile neutropenia, one (3%) patient with grade 4 hyperglycaemia, and one (3%) patient with grade 2 bronchopulmonary haemorrhage. There were no treatment-related deaths.

INTERPRETATION

Atezolizumab plus carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel could be a potential neoadjuvant regimen for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer, with a high proportion of patients achieving a major pathological response, and manageable treatment-related toxic effects, which did not compromise surgical resection.

FUNDING

Genentech and Celgene.

Adjuvant therapy in stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery

Background

This study aimed to determine whether adjuvant therapy improves survival in patients with stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 467 consecutive patients with stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC who received neoadjuvant CCRT followed by surgery between 2004 and 2013. From these, we identified 398 eligible patients and their clinical outcomes were compared according to whether adjuvant therapy was provided.

Results

In total, 296 patients (74%) received adjuvant therapy consisting of chemotherapy alone (n=71) radiotherapy alone (n=118) and both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (n=107). Adjuvant therapy was not given to remaining 102 patients. Patients who receiving adjuvant therapy were significantly younger (P=0.001), and predominantly male (P=0.014) compared to patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy. Regarding to the pathologic response, the adjuvant therapy group had a significantly poor pathologic response. However, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate did not significantly differ between the groups (adjuvant therapy group, 52.9%; no adjuvant therapy group, 54.9%; P=0.369). After adjusting for age, sex, type of operation, cell type and yp stage, adjuvant therapy was significantly associated with better OS (hazard ratio =0.59; 95% CI, 0.38–0.92; P=0.019) and disease free survival (hazard ratio =0.62; 95% CI, 0.44–0.87; P=0.006).

Conclusions

Our data indicate that adjuvant therapy is more often given to patients with poor pathologic findings. Adjuvant treatment after trimodal therapy is a significant predictor of survival after adjustment of clinical variables.

The top 100 cited articles in lung cancer - a bibliometric analysis

Aim of the study

To analyze the 100 most cited lung cancer articles published in biomedical literature in the last 44 years. We pointed out developments in lung cancer and aimed to create convenient access for the researchers of this dynamic field.

Material and methods

We accessed the WoS database (accessed: 15.07.2019) using the keyword “lung cancer” between 1975 and 2019. The top 100 cited articles were analyzed by topic, journal, author, year, institution, level of evidence, adjusted citation index and also the correlations between citation, adjusted citation index, impact factor and length of time since publication.

Results

A total of 240,701 eligible articles were identified and we chose the top 100 articles cited in the field of lung cancer. The mean number of citations for these articles was 1879.82 ±1264.78. The most cited article was (times cited: 7751) a study by Lynch et al. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) made the greatest contribution to the top 100 list with 32 articles, and the most cited article also originated from NEJM. The highest number of citations was seen in 2017 with 18,393 citations while the highest number of publications was seen in 2005 with 12 publications.

Conclusions

Oncology is a developing field and we have seen the evolution in this area through the treatment of lung cancer in recent years. The first 100 articles in our analysis not only reflect the landmark articles with the greatest impact on lung cancer research, but also acknowledge the most productive authors and institutions that have contributed to the list with their articles.

Validation of the Proposed cN2 Subclassification in the Eighth Edition of the IASLC Staging System: A Prospective Phase II Multicenter Study

Introduction

Surgery for N2 stage IIIA NSCLC is not recommended in major guidelines. Nevertheless, it has been noted that single-station N2 may have a better prognosis than multistation N2 and that surgery can be performed as the main therapeutic option.

Methods

We conducted a prospective phase II study for single-station clinical N2 (cN2) NSCLC to evaluate the efficacy and safety of surgical resection without induction therapy. Complete resection with lobectomy, bilobectomy, or pneumonectomy followed by ipsilateral mediastinal lymphadenectomy was performed in 32 of 34 enrolled patients, whereas the remaining two patients underwent incomplete resection. Three-quarters of the patients underwent subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

The 5-year overall survival rate was 58.5% (95% confidence interval: 41.9–75.4) for all 34 patients, and eight patients (23.5%) with pN0 or pN1 seemed to have been enrolled. The 5-year overall survival rates for single-station cN2 without and with hilar node enlargement were 81.3% and 37.5%, respectively (p = 0.025). Surgical mortality was 0% for all, and no considerable perioperative complications were noted; however, two patients died of interstitial pneumonia and unknown cause within 3 months after surgical resection.

Conclusions

This is the very first prospective study on the surgical approach for cN2 NSCLC, and our result partially validated the proposed classification of the N descriptor in the new staging system. The treatment for single-station cN2 without hilar node enlargement would better if it were similar to that for cN1 disease. Induction chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy may not be needed for such an entity.

Efficacy of erlotinib as neoadjuvant regimen in EGFR-mutant locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients

Background

The optimal neoadjuvant regimen for locally advanced resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. EGFR inhibitors have significantly improved survival in patients with EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC. However, their efficacy in neoadjuvant settings, particularly for treating locally advanced NSCLC, remains unclear. We compared the clinical benefits of chemotherapy and erlotinib as neoadjuvant therapy for stage IIIA NSCLC.

Method

Thirty-one treatment-naïve Chinese patients with stage IIIA NSCLC were enrolled. Patients without EGFR mutation received cisplatin-based doublet chemotherapy (n = 16; N-chemo group) while EGFR-mutant patients received erlotinib (n = 15; N-TKI group) as neoadjuvant therapy.

Results

After completing neoadjuvant treatment, 12 and 8 patients from the N-TKI and N-chemo groups underwent surgery, respectively. Our data revealed that patients who received erlotinib had a marginally better clinical objective response rate (67% vs. 19%), pathological response rate (67% vs. 38%), and overall survival (51.0 months vs. 20.9 months) compared with those who received chemotherapy. Furthermore, patients in the N-TKI group had a significantly greater reduction in tumor diameter, serum carcinoembryonic level, and maximum allelic fraction.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that erlotinib is an effective neoadjuvant regimen in patients with EGFR-mutant locally advanced NSCLC, paving the way for its extended use in neoadjuvant settings.

[ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01217619]

Optimal Surgical Timing After Neoadjuvant Therapy for Stage IIIa Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with clinically/pathologically diagnosed stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considered for surgery are recommended to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation. The timing of an operation after therapy is not standardized; therefore, we investigated the timing of intervention after neoadjuvant therapy and the impact on outcomes in this demographic.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried between 2010 and 2015 for patients with clinical/pathologic stage IIIa NSCLC. Patients were then divided into short (<77 days), mid (77-114 days), and long delay (>114 days) groups based on interquartile values. These groups were then compared for age, race, gender, insurance type, Charlson-Deyo score, length of stay, readmission rate, and overall survival based on timing of operation.

RESULTS

There were 31,357 patients with clinical/pathologic stage IIIa NSCLC, and 5946 patients underwent surgical intervention. Preoperatively 3593 patients underwent chemoradiotherapy, 2185 underwent chemotherapy only, and 168 received radiation alone. The short, mid, and long delay groups were clinically and statistically similar in age, gender, insurance type, comorbidity index, treating facility type, and distance from home. Long delay groups had larger tumor size compared with other groups. Postoperative length of stay, rates of 30-day readmission, and 30- and 90-day mortality were similar across all groups. Cox modeling demonstrated a significant difference in survival when patients underwent earlier operative intervention compared with late operative intervention and when patients received chemoradiation compared with chemotherapy alone. Short, mid, and long delay group 1-year survivals were 82%, 83%, and 80% and 3-year survival 59%, 58%, and 52%, respectively (P = .0003).

CONCLUSIONS

The delay in surgical resection of stage IIIa NSCLC is not associated increased early mortality; however, it is associated with worse 3-year postresection survival.

Review and perspective on adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapies in NSCLC

Postoperative patients have risk recurring, even for completed resected early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To control the recurrence rate, neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies have been applied widely in clinical practice; however, neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy clinical trials on NSCLC are still being explored. In this review, we summarized the research progress and outline the issues need to be solved on adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapies in NSCLC.

Intercalated combination of chemotherapy and erlotinib for stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer: a multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study

Objective

This multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of an intercalated combination of erlotinib and gemcitabine/cisplatin or carboplatin in patients with stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Registration

This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01297101.

Methods

The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), which includes complete response (CR) and partial response (PR), assessed using RECIST version 1.0 in the intention-to-treat population. Adverse events (AEs) were graded by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 3.0. Secondary endpoints included the disease control rate, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Between April 1, 2011, and July 31, 2014, 39 patients with stage IIIA NSCLC received two cycles of intercalated use of erlotinib with gemcitabine/cisplatin or carboplatin.

Results

Eighteen patients (46.15%) achieved a PR and no patient achieved a pathologic CR, resulting in an ORR of 46.15% (95% CI 30-63%). Median DFS was 20 months (95% CI 5.26-50.61) and median OS was 25 months (95% CI 15.57-33.39). Patients with EGFR mutations (n=7) had a higher ORR than those with wild-type EGFR (n=9) (85.71% vs 55.56%, P=0.00). Most AEs were CTCAE grade 1 or 2; there were no cases of increased hematologic toxicity or erlotinib-emergent interstitial lung disease observed.

Conclusion

Two cycles of intercalated neoadjuvant therapy with erlotinib and gemcitabine/cisplatin or carboplatin were effective and safe for patients with stage IIIA NSCLC. This approach should be further explored in larger randomized controlled trials given the lack of a consensus about the best treatment for stage IIIA NSCLC.

Treatment rationale and design of the induction chemotherapy and adjuvant thoracic radiation in resectable N2-3A/3B non-small cell lung cancer (ICAT) study

BACKGROUND

The optimal treatment strategy for stage N2-3A/3B non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial owing to its heterogeneity. Although multimodal therapy is considered the standard therapeutic approach for stage N2-3A/3B resectable NSCLC patients, the optimal combination strategy still needs to be clarified.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In total, 25 male and female patients aged between 20 and 75 years with stage N2-3A/3B resectable NSCLC will be included. Eligible patients will undergo tri-modality therapy comprising induction chemotherapy (3 cycles of combination therapy with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel), followed by surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. Recruitment was commenced in April 2017, with a planned last follow-up in March 2024. As of May 2019, 1 subject has been enrolled. The primary endpoint is the treatment completion rate. The secondary endpoints are objective response rate (ORR) of induction chemotherapy, treatment-related adverse event, recurrence-free survival (RFS) time, and overall survival (OS) time. RFS and OS time will be calculated as the time from this study registration to first recurrence and all-cause death, respectively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol was approved by the institutional review boards of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and all the participating hospitals. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients before registration, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The study results will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial registration number UMIN000025010 and jRCT1051180028.

Multidisciplinary consensus statement on the clinical management of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a very heterogeneous disease that encompasses patients with resected, potentially resectable and unresectable tumours. To improve the prognostic capacity of the TNM classification, it has been agreed to divide stage III into sub-stages IIIA, IIIB and IIIC that have very different 5-year survival rates (36, 26 and 13%, respectively). Currently, it is considered that both staging and optimal treatment of stage III NSCLC requires the joint work of a multidisciplinary team of expert physicians within the tumour committee. To improve the care of patients with stage III NSCLC, different scientific societies involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease have agreed to issue a series of recommendations that can contribute to homogenise the management of this disease, and ultimately to improve patient care.

Outcomes comparison between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy in stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients

Background

A neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is a feasible second-option other than an adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT); however, no definite conclusions have been drawn about whether or not a NCT is associated with better clinical outcomes for IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods

We reviewed 68 clinical IIIA NSCLC patients who received preoperative chemotherapy (NCT group), and 535 pathological IIIA NSCLC patients who received ACT after surgery (ACT group). After a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM), we compared the relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates as the long-term clinical outcomes, and hospital stay, surgery duration, postoperative complications as the short-term clinical outcomes. To evaluate the predictive value of the NCT response, we also assessed the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) response to NCT.

Results

There was no significant difference in RFS or OS between the NCT group and ACT group (RFS: P=0.1138; OS: P=0.4234). On multivariate analysis, large cell lung carcinoma (P=0.0264), bilobectomy (P=0.0039) and clinical N2 stage (P=0.0309) were independent predictive factors of a worse OS. Short-term clinical outcomes including the hospital stay and postoperative complications had no statistically distinct difference between the ACT and NCT groups. Meanwhile, the OS of the partial response (PR) patients group was better than the stable disease/progressive disease (SD/PD) (P=0.0205) and ACT (P=0.0442) group, but none of the clinical features we tested was found to be a predictive factor for a PR response.

Conclusions

There was a non-significant difference between the long-term and short-term clinical outcomes of both NCT and ACT. The OS of PR patients was better than SD/PD and ACT, indicating that NCT response acts as a predictor for a higher long-term survival rate.

Induction Therapies Plus Surgery Versus Exclusive Radiochemotherapy in Stage IIIA/N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

In spite of the growing body of data from prospective randomized clinical trials (PRCTs) and meta-analyses, the optimal treatment approach in patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer remains unknown. This review focuses on the available data directly confronting induction chemotherapy or induction radiochemotherapy (RT-CHT) when followed by surgery with exclusive RT-CHT. Seven PRCTs and 4 meta-analyses investigated this issue. In addition, numerous retrospective studies attempted to identify potential predictors and/or prognosticators that may have influenced the decision to offer surgery in a particular patient subgroup. Several retrospective studies also evaluated exclusive RT-CHT in this setting. There is not a single piece of the highest level of evidence (PRCT or MA) showing any advantage of induction therapies followed by surgery over exclusive RT-CHT with the former treatment option leading to significantly more morbidity and mortality. Although several studies attempted to identify patient subgroups favoring induction therapies followed by surgery, they have invariably been retrospective in nature, and their results have never been reproduced even in other retrospective setting. Furthermore, no PRCT investigated potential pretreatment patient and/or tumor-related predictors of surgical multimodality success. Exclusive RT-CHT achieves similar results to induction therapies followed by surgery but with less morbidity and mortality. This is accompanied with the finding that no pretreatment predictor exists to enable identification of even a subgroup of stage IIIA/pN2 patients benefiting from any surgical approach.

Long term follow-up of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) investigating early positron emission tomography (PET) scan as a predictor of outcome

Background

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is effective in improving survival of resectable NSCLC. Based on findings in the adjuvant and metastatic setting, FDG positron emission tomography (PET) scans may offer early prognostic or predictive value after one cycle of induction chemotherapy.

Methods

In this phase II non-randomized trial, patients with AJCC version 6 stage IB to IIIB operable NSCLC were treated with 3 cycles of cisplatin and pemetrexed neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients underwent FDG-PET scanning prior to and 18 to 21 days after the first cycle of chemotherapy. Investigators caring for patients were blinded to results, unless the scans showed evidence of disease progression. FDG-PET response was defined prospectively as a ≥ 20% decrease in the SUV of the primary lesion.

Results

Between October 2005 and February 2010, 25 patients enrolled. Fifty two percent were female, 88% white, and median age was 62 years. Histology was divided into adenocarcinoma 66%, not otherwise specified (NOS) 16%, squamous cell 12%, and large cell 4%. Stage distribution was: 16% IB, 4% IIB, and 79% IIIA. Treatment was well tolerated and only one patient had a grade 4 toxicity. The median follow up was 95 months. The 5 year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the entire population were 54 and 67%, respectively. Eighteen patients had a baseline FDG-PET scan and a repeat scan at day 18–21 available for comparison. Ten patients (56%) were considered metabolic responders on the day 18–21 FDG-PET scan. Responders had a 5 year PFS and OS of 60 and 70%, respectively, while the percentage for non-responders was 63 and 75% (p = 0.96 and 0.85).

Conclusions

This phase II trial did not demonstrate that a PET scan after one cycle of chemotherapy can predict survival outcomes of patients with NSCLC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Trial registration

NCT00227539 registered September 28th, 2005.

The Optimal Treatment for Stage IIIA-N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The optimal treatment for stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We aimed to address this important issue through a Bayesian network meta-analysis.

METHODS

We performed a search of electronic databases for randomized controlled trials comparing the following treatments: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and their multiple combinations before March 25, 2018. Pooled data on overall survival and treatment-related deaths were analyzed within the Bayesian framework.

RESULTS

Eighteen eligible trials reporting 13 treatments were included. In terms of overall survival, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which tended to be consistent (hazard ratio [HR] 1.14, 95% credible interval [CrI] 0.21 to 5.93), ranked superior to other treatments. Notably, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy was significantly more effective in prolonging survival than surgery alone (HR 0.38, 95% CrI 0.18 to 0.81), surgery plus adjuvant radiotherapy (HR 0.51, 95% CrI 0.29 to 0.92) and potentially surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.49, 95% CrI 0.23 to 1.05). Overall, with 29% as the highest possibility of causing the fewest treatment-related deaths, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was the safest treatment option.

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy has the greatest possibility to be the optimal treatment with the best overall survival and fewest treatment-related deaths for stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC.

Initial results of pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant nivolumab in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a phase I trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab, a monoclonal antibody to the programmed cell death protein 1 checkpoint receptor, in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer. We analyzed perioperative outcomes to assess the safety of this strategy.

METHODS

Patients with untreated stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer underwent neoadjuvant therapy with 2 cycles of nivolumab (3 mg/kg), 4 and 2 weeks before resection. Patients underwent invasive mediastinal staging as indicated and post-treatment computed tomography. Primary study end points were safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant nivolumab followed by pulmonary resection. Data on additional surgical details were collected through chart review.

RESULTS

Of 22 patients enrolled, 20 underwent resection. One was unresectable; another had small cell histologic subtype. There were no delays to surgical resection. Median time from first treatment to surgery was 33 (range, 17-43) days. There were 15 lobectomies, 2 pneumonectomies, 1 bilobectomy, 1 sleeve lobectomy, and 1 wedge resection. Of 13 procedures attempted via a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or robotic approach, 7 (54%) required thoracotomy. Median operative time was 228 (range, 132-312) minutes; estimated blood loss was 100 (range, 25-1000) mL; length of hospital stay was 4 (range, 2-17) days. There was no operative mortality. Morbidity occurred in 10 of 20 patients (50%). The most common postoperative complication was atrial arrhythmia (6/20; 30%). Major pathologic response was identified in 9 of 20 patients (45%).

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant therapy with nivolumab was not associated with unexpected perioperative morbidity or mortality. More than half of the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery/robotic cases were converted to thoracotomy, often because of hilar inflammation and fibrosis.

Occult stage IIIA-N2 patients have excellent overall survival with initial surgery

Background

Patients may be found to have stage IIIA-N2 at the final pathology after the initial surgery. We want to determine the survival rate in this unique group of patients.

Methods

We reviewed all patients who underwent surgical resection for lung cancer from 2000 to 2011 who had pathologic stage N2 without induction therapy. We determined the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival rate in this unique group of patients.

Results

A total of 101 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age of the group was 65 years old with 53 (53%) females. The chest computed tomography (CT) scans showed 30 patients (30%) with mediastinal lymphadenopathy (>1 cm) and 13 (13%) with multistation disease. The positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) showed 24 patients (24%) with N2 positive uptake. Invasive mediastinal staging prior to surgery occurred in 43 patients (43%). Eighty-four patients underwent a lobectomy (83%), 7 with bilobectomy (7%), and 10 with pneumonectomy (10%). The most common pathology was adenocarcinoma with 73 patients (72%) and the second most common was squamous cell carcinoma with 22 patients (22%). Most of the patients completed the adjuvant chemoradiation therapy (86%). The 5-year survival rate was 48% and the 10-year survival rate was 24%.

Conclusions

Pathologic stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease process with a very small group of patients undergoing initial surgery. Patients with occult stage IIIA-N2 who undergo initial surgery have an excellent overall survival rate.

Upfront surgery in patients with clinical skip N2 lung cancer based on results of modern radiological examinations

Background

Direct lymphatic drainage from a primary tumor to the right paratracheal or aortic window lymph nodes is often noted in pN2 disease. This multi-institutional retrospective study investigated the outcomes of upfront surgery in patients with clinical skip N2 disease (N2 disease without N1 disease) and a tumor in the right upper lobe or left upper segment based on results of modern radiological examinations, including positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods

We identified 143 patients with cN2 disease who underwent upfront surgery in 12 institutions under the Thoracic Surgery Study Group of Osaka University between January 2006 and December 2013. Among 143 patients, 94 who underwent PET were analyzed. We classified these patients into Group A (n=39; clinical skip N2 disease and a tumor in the right upper lobe or left upper segment) and Group B (n=55; other).

Results

The median follow-up was 56.5 months. Among the 94 patients, 50 (53.2%) had skip N2 disease and 65 (69.1%) had a tumor in the right upper lobe or left upper segment. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of the 94 patients with cN2 disease was 47.9%. The 5-year OS rates for the cN2pN0/1 (n=22) and cN2pN2 (n=70) groups were 74.9% and 41.2%, respectively (P=0.034). The univariate analysis of OS revealed no significant differences in age, sex, histology, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, tumor size, PET findings, and number of metastatic lymph nodes when these parameters were dichotomized. A significantly better 5-year OS rate was observed in Group A than in Group B (64.0% vs. 37.0%; P=0.039). The multivariate analysis of OS revealed that Group A was a significantly prognostic factor (P=0.030).

Conclusions

Patients with cN2 disease in Group A had a more favorable prognosis. Upfront surgery may be a treatment option for such selected patients with non-small lung cancer in the specific group.

Long-term effects of neoadjuvant radiotherapy, adjuvant radiotherapy, and chemotherapy-only on survival of locally advanced non-small cell lung Cancer undergoing surgery: a propensity-matched analysis

Background

The optimal timing of radiotherapy (RT) with respect to surgery remains controversial for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA NSCLC) undergoing surgery and the long-term effect of neoadjuvant RT, adjuvant RT, and chemotherapy-only on survival is unknown.

Methods

A retrospective study with Greedy 5 → 1 Digit propensity score matching technique was performed for locally advanced NSCLC patients identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 2004 to 2012. Kaplan-Meier and the log-rank test were conducted to compare NSCLC-specific survival. Cox proportional hazards multivariable regression was performed to assess the impact of different treatment regimens on cancer-specific mortality after adjustment for demographic factors, histology type, tumor grade, tumor size, nodal stage, and extent of resection.

Results

One thousand, two hundred and seventy-eight locally advanced NSCLC patients undergoing surgery were identified after propensity matching. Cox regression analyses showed the risk of cancer-specific mortality is not significantly different among neoadjuvant RT, adjuvant RT, and chemotherapy-only. Subgroup analyses showed that for patients with T1/2 & N2/3, the surgery plus chemotherapy-only group showed markedly higher mortality risk (HR = 1.42, 95%CI:1.10–1.83) than the neoadjuvant RT group. Other risk factors include older age, higher tumor grade, larger tumor size, and greater lymph node involvement.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that the benefit of additional neoadjuvant or adjuvant RT to chemotherapy may be linked to a proper selection of LA NSCLC patients who undergo surgery. The timing of radiotherapy should be decided on the premise of fully considering patients’ condition and the quality of life after treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4900-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Multimodality Therapy for N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Evolving Paradigm

BACKGROUND

Induction chemoradiation for resectable N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is used with the intent to optimize locoregional control, whereas induction chemotherapy given in systemic doses is meant to optimally target potential distant disease. However, the optimal preoperative treatment regimen is still unknown and practice patterns continue to vary widely. We compared multiinstitutional oncologic outcomes for N2 NSCLC from 4 experienced lung cancer treatment centers.

METHODS

This collaborative retrospective study unites 4 major thoracic oncology centers. Patients with N2 NSCLC undergoing surgical resection after induction chemotherapy (CxT) or concurrent chemoradiation (CxRT) were included. Primary outcomes were overall and disease-free survival (OS and DFS).

RESULTS

822 patients were identified (CxT = 662 and CxRT = 160). There were no differences in 5-year OS (CxT 39.9% versus CxRT 42.9%, p = 0.250) nor in DFS (CxT 28.7% versus 29.8%, p = 0.207). Recurrence rates (CxT 46.8% versus CxRT 51.6%, p = 0.282) and recurrence patterns were not significantly different (Local: CxT 9.8% versus CxRT 9.7%; and Distant: CxT 30.4% versus CxRT 33.1%, p = 0.764). There was no difference in perioperative mortality. In the analyses of patients who underwent pretreatment invasive mediastinal staging (n = 555), there were still no significant differences in OS (p = 0.341) and DFS (p = 0.455) between the 2 treatment strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Both treatment strategies produce equivalent and better than expected outcomes compared with historical controls for N2 NSCLC, with no differences in recurrence patterns. How these conventional therapeutic strategies will compare with those involving immunotherapy combined with surgical locoregional disease control for N2 disease remains to be determined.

N2 disease in non-small-cell lung cancer: straight to surgery?

The correct treatment for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and ipsilateral mediastinal involvement (N2) remains a challenge. The heterogeneity of this group of patients has been shown, as well as many different prognostic factors, that will determine a specific management to each of them. Although the standard treatment is based on a multimodality therapy consisting of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, surgery is not always indicated. The selection of patients who are going to be operated, reminds being a key point of the treatment of this disease. Recent reports on operable N2 disease have been reviewed by our group in order to discuss surgery indications and when to bring it about, with the possibility to go straight to surgery.

Making the Evidentiary Case for Universal Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncologic Care

The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the state of the evidence for, and challenges to, sustainable implementation of multidisciplinary thoracic oncology programs. Multidisciplinary care is much advocated by professional groups and makers of clinical guidelines, but little practiced. The gap between universal recommendation and scant evidence of practice suggests the existence of major barriers to program implementation. We examine 2 articles published in this issue of Clinical Lung Cancer to illustrate problems with the evidence base for multidisciplinary care. The inherent complexity of care delivery for the lung cancer patient drives near-universal advocacy for multidisciplinary care as a means of overcoming the heterogeneous quality and outcomes of patient care. However, the evidence to support this model of care delivery is poor. Challenges include the absence of a clear definition of "multidisciplinary care" in the literature, a consequent hodge-podge of poorly-defined examples of tested models, methodologically flawed studies, exemplified by the near-total absence of prospective studies examining this model of care delivery, and absence of scientifically sound dissemination and implementation studies, as well as cost-effectiveness studies. Against this background, we examined the results of a recent large single-institutional retrospective study suggesting the survival benefit of care within a colocated multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic, and an ambitious systematic review of existing literature on multidisciplinary cancer clinics. Better-quality evidence is still needed to establish the value of the multidisciplinary care concept. Such studies need to be prospective, use standardized definitions of multidisciplinary care, and provide clear information about program structure.

Neoadjuvant Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Locally advanced (stage IIIA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is confined to the chest, but requires more than surgery to maximize cure. Therapy given preoperatively is termed neoadjuvant, whereas postoperative therapy is termed adjuvant. Trimodality therapy (chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery) has become the standard treatment regimen for resectable, locally advanced NSCLC. During the past 2 decades, several prospective, randomized, and nonrandomized studies have explored various regimens for preoperative treatment of NSCLC. The evaluation of potential candidates with NSCLC for neoadjuvant therapy as well as the currently available therapeutic regimens are reviewed.

Induction chemoradiotherapy versus induction chemotherapy for potentially resectable stage IIIA (N2) non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% to 90% of lung cancer cases. At diagnosis, around 30% of NSCLC patients are already at stage IIIA (N2). One standard treatment for this stage is induction chemotherapy followed by surgery, whether induction chemoradiotherapy is superior to induction chemotherapy remains uncertain. We therefore performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized control trials to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of induction chemoradiotherapy versus induction chemotherapy for potentially resectable stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC.

Methods

We systematically searched for relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library from the inception of each database to September 10, 2017. The primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), pathological complete response (pCR) rate of mediastinal lymph nodes, toxicity (grade 3-4 adverse events, i.e., nausea and vomiting, infections, leukopenia and anemia), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager v5.3.

Results

Four studies, containing 461 patients in total, were included for meta-analysis. Our analyses suggest that compared with induction chemotherapy, induction chemoradiotherapy improved ORR [odds ratio (OR) =1.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25-3.10, P<0.05] and pCR rate of mediastinal lymph nodes (OR =1.97, 95% CI: 1.00-3.86, P=0.05); but it did not significantly improve OS [hazard ratio (HR) =0.91, 95% CI: 0.73-1.14, P=0.42] or PFS (HR =1.01, 95% CI: 0.81-1.26, P=0.91); also it did not exacerbate the toxicity.

Conclusions

Induction chemoradiotherapy may have limited value concerning tumor response and pCR of mediastinal lymph nodes. However, current evidence does not support that addition of radiotherapy to induction chemotherapy followed by surgery can bring significant benefits to operable stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC patients. More studies are required to draw a better conclusion.

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy for Stage III non-small cell lung cancer

The treatments for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) should control both local and microscopic systemic disease, because the 5-year survival of patients with Stage III NSCLC who underwent surgical resection alone has been dismal. One way to improve surgical outcome is the administration of chemotherapy before or after the surgical procedure. During the last two decades, many clinical studies have focused on developing optimal adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens that can be combined with surgical treatment and/or radiotherapy. Based on the results of those clinical studies, multimodality therapy is considered to be an appropriate treatment approach for Stage IIIA NSCLC patients; although, optimal treatment strategies are still evolving. When N2 nodal involvement is discovered postoperatively, adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy confers an overall survival benefit. The addition of postoperative radiotherapy might be considered for patients with nodal metastases. Although definitive chemoradiation remains a standard of care for cN2 NSCLC, alternative approaches such as induction chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy and surgery can be considered for a selective group of patients. When surgical resection can be performed after induction therapy with low risk and a good chance of complete resection, the outcome may be optimal. The decision to proceed with resection after induction therapy must include a detailed preoperative pulmonary function evaluation as well as a critical intraoperative assessment of the feasibility of complete resection.

Treatment-Related Predictive and Prognostic Factors in Trimodality Approach in Stage IIIA/N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

While there are no established pretreatment predictive and prognostic factors in patients with stage IIIA/pN2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) indicating a benefit to surgery as a part of trimodality approach, little is known about treatment-related predictive and prognostic factors in this setting. A literature search was conducted to identify possible treatment-related predictive and prognostic factors for patients for whom trimodality approach was reported on. Overall survival was the primary endpoint of this study. Of 30 identified studies, there were two phase II studies, 5 “prospective” studies, and 23 retrospective studies. No study was found which specifically looked at treatment-related predictive factors of improved outcomes in trimodality treatment. Of potential treatment-related prognostic factors, the least frequently analyzed factors among 30 available studies were overall pathologic stage after preoperative treatment and UICC downstaging. Evaluation of treatment response before surgery and by pathologic tumor stage after induction therapy were analyzed in slightly more than 40% of studies and found not to influence survival. More frequently studied factors—resection status, degree of tumor regression, and pathologic nodal stage after induction therapy as well as the most frequently studied factor, the treatment (in almost 75% studies)—showed no discernible impact on survival, due to conflicting results. Currently, it is impossible to identify any treatment-related predictive or prognostic factors for selecting surgery in the treatment of patients with stage IIIA/pN2 NSCLC.

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Shows No Survival Advantage to Chemotherapy Alone in Stage IIIA Patients

BACKGROUND

For operable patients with clinical stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer, the optimum neoadjuvant treatment strategy remains unclear. Our aim was to compare perioperative and long-term outcomes for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) alone.

METHODS

We queried the National Cancer Database to identify all patients with N2 and either T1-T2 non-small cell lung cancer who received either NCRT or NCT followed by lobectomy between 2006 and 2012. Patients with T3 tumors were excluded. A propensity match analysis was performed incorporating preoperative variables, and the incidence of postoperative complications, pathologic downstaging, and long-term survival were compared.

RESULTS

In all, 1,936 patients met criteria, 745 NCT and 1,191 NCRT. The NCRT patients were younger, less likely to be treated at an academic medical center, and more likely to have adenocarcinoma. After propensity matching, patients in the NCT group showed lower 30-day mortality (1.3% versus 2.9%) and 90-day mortality (2.9% versus 6.0%), and were more likely to undergo a minimally invasive resection (25.7% versus 14.1%). The NCRT patients were more likely to have a pathologic complete response (14.2% versus 4.0%) and to be N0 at the time of resection (45.2% versus 38.7%). In the multivariable analysis, NCRT patients were at a greater risk of mortality than NCT patients (hazard ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.03 to 1.36).

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort, combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy was associated with improved pathologic downstaging but showed increased perioperative mortality with no improvement in long-term overall survival. For stage IIIA patients with smaller tumors without local invasion, chemotherapy alone may be the preferred neoadjuvant treatment.

Implications of Pathologic Complete Response Beyond Mediastinal Nodal Clearance With High-Dose Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy in Locally Advanced, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE

To determine, in a retrospective analysis of a large cohort of stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with curative intent at our institution, whether having a pathologic complete response (pCR) influenced overall survival (OS) or freedom from recurrence (FFR) in patients who underwent definitive (≥60 Gy) neoadjuvant doses of chemoradiation (CRT).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

At our institution, 355 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer were treated with curative intent with definitive CRT (January 2000-December 2013), of whom 111 underwent mediastinal reassessment for possible surgical resection. Ultimately 88 patients received trimodality therapy. Chi-squared analysis was used to compare categorical variables. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to estimate OS and FFR, with Cox regression used to determine the absolute hazards.

RESULTS

Using high-dose neoadjuvant CRT, we observed a mediastinal nodal clearance (MNC) rate of 74% (82 of 111 patients) and pCR rate of 48% (37 of 77 patients). With a median follow-up of 34.2 months (range, 3-177 months), MNC resulted in improved OS and FFR on both univariate (OS: hazard ratio [HR] 0.455, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.272-0.763, P = .004; FFR: HR 0.426, 95% CI 0.250-0.726, P = .002) and multivariate analysis (OS: HR 0.460, 95% CI 0.239-0.699, P = .001; FFR: HR 0.455, 95% CI 0.266-0.778, P = .004). However, pCR did not independently impact OS (P = .918) or FFR (P = .474).

CONCLUSIONS

Mediastinal nodal clearance after CRT continues to be predictive of improved survival for patients undergoing trimodality therapy. However, a pCR at both the primary and mediastinum did not further improve survival outcomes. Future therapies should focus on improving MNC to encourage more frequent use of surgery and might justify use of preoperative CRT over chemotherapy alone.