Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Lobectomy for T1-2N0 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Are the Guidelines Supported?

Treatment Modality for Stage IB Peripheral Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Visceral Pleural Invasion and ≤3 cm in Size

Purpose

To compare the survival difference among lobectomy, segmentectomy, and wedge resection and investigate the role of adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage small-sized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with visceral pleural invasion (VPI).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with stage IB peripheral NSCLC with VPI and ≤3 cm in size in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2004 and 2015 were included, and the pleural layer (PL) invasion status was identified to recognize the tumors with VPI, including PL1 and PL2. We conducted Cox proportional hazards model in multivariable analysis and subgroup analysis via propensity score matching (PSM) method and Cox regression method to figure out the optimal therapy for these patients.

Results

A total of 1,993 patients were included, all of whom received surgery, and the median follow-up was 33 months (range, 1–83 months). In multivariable analysis, age, gender, histology, pathological grade, lymph node examination, surgical approaches, and radiotherapy were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Lobectomy was superior to sublobar resection [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.08–1.83], and wedge resection was associated with impaired survival compared to lobectomy (HR = 1.64; 95% CI, 1.22–2.20) in PSM analyses. In subgroup analysis, lobectomy was superior to sublobar resection among those aged <70 years (HR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.13–2.90), female (HR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.21–2.53), and 1–20 mm in size (HR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.11–2.33). No survival benefit was observed for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Lobectomy was superior to wedge resection and comparable with segmentectomy for stage IB NSCLC (≤3 cm) with VPI, and adjuvant chemotherapy could not benefit these patients, even in those with sublobar resection. The preferred surgical procedure remains to be studied in prospective controlled trials.

Effect of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Survival of Patients With 8th Edition Stage IB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with 8th edition stage IB (tumor size ≤4 cm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear.

METHODS

We identified 9757 eligible patients (non-chemotherapy group: n=8303; chemotherapy group: n=1454) between 2004 and 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Log-rank test was used to compare overall survival (OS) between the chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy groups. Cox regression model was applied to investigate the independent prognosis factors of all surgically treated stage IB patients, and then the nomogram was constructed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the confounding bias, and subgroup analyses of the matched cohort were also performed. Finally, we reviewed 184 patients with stage IB NSCLC from July 2008 to December 2016 in Jinling Hospital as a validation cohort, and compared disease-free survival (DFS) and OS between the two groups.

RESULTS

In the SEER database cohort, adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in both unmatched and matched (1417 pairs) cohorts (all P <0.05). The survival benefit (both OS and DFS) was confirmed in the validation cohort (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis showed age, race, sex, marital status, histology, tumor location, tumor size, differentiation, surgical method, lymph nodes (LNs) examined, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were prognostic factors for resected stage IB NSCLC (all P <0.05). The concordance index and calibration curves demonstrated good prediction effect. Subgroup analyses showed patients with the following characteristics benefited from chemotherapy: old age, poor differentiation to undifferentiation, 0-15 LNs examined, visceral pleural invasion (VPI), lobectomy and no radiotherapy (all P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in 8th edition stage IB NSCLC patients, especially in those with old age, poorly differentiated to undifferentiated tumors, 0-15 LNs examined, VPI, lobotomy and no radiotherapy. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm these conclusions. Besides, the nomogram provides relatively accurate prediction for the prognosis of resected stage IB NSCLC patients.

Optimal Surgery Type and Adjuvant Therapy for T1N0M0 Lung Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Background

The appropriate treatment strategy for T1N0M0 lung large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) was not well illustrated. We evaluated the efficacy of different surgery types and adjuvant therapy on patients with T1N0M0 LCNEC.

Methods

Patients diagnosed T1N0M0 LCNEC from 2004 to 2016 were identified in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. Clinical characteristics, treatment and survival data were collected. The efficacy of surgery type and adjuvant therapy stratified by tumor size was assessed. Overall survival(OS) was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and relevant survival variables were identified by the Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

From 2004 to 2016, 425 patients were included in this study, 253 (59.5%) patients received lobectomy, and 236 (55.5%) patients had 4 or more lymph nodes removed. Patients received lobectomy had better survival than those received sublobar resection(P=0.000). No matter tumor size less than 2 cm or 2 to 3 cm, lobectomy was significantly prolonged survival. Compared with no lymph nodes removed, lymph nodes dissection was associated with more remarkable OS(P<0.000). 4 or more regional lymph nodes dissection predicted better OS compared with 1 to 3 regional lymph nodes dissection(P=0.014). After surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy did not contribute to extended survival in patients with tumor less than 2 cm(P=0.658), and possibly for tumor 2 to 3 cm(P=0.082). Multivariate analysis showed that age and lobectomy were independent prognostic factors(P=0.000).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that lobectomy and lymph nodes dissection were associated with significantly better survival. Extensive regional lymph node dissection(4 or more) was more effective in prolonging survival than 1 to 3 lymph nodes dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with extended survival for tumor less than 2 cm, and possibly for tumor 2 to 3 cm.

The effect of comprehensive rehabilitation program plus chemotherapy on quality of life in patients with postoperative non-small-cell lung cancer: study protocol of a multicenter randomized clinical trial

Background

Comprehensive rehabilitation therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely applied in various cancer treatments in China. Thus far, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been shown effective in reducing the adverse effects of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life (QoL) during chemotherapy. The purpose of the present study is to compare the effects of CHM plus Liu Zi Jue (LZJ) exercises with CHM plus rehabilitation education and with placebo plus rehabilitation education in patients who have undergone complete resection for nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) followed by postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods and design

A multicenter, randomized clinical trial will be performed with 354 stage Ib–IIIa NSCLC patients in five centers in China. Patients satisfying the inclusion criteria will be randomly divided into three groups according to a 1:1:1 ratio: intervention group A (IGA), intervention group B (IGB), and control group (CG). Each group will receive adjuvant platinum-based doublet chemotherapy for a total of four cycles. IGA participants will receive chemotherapy combined with CHM and LZJ exercises, IGB participants will receive chemotherapy combined with CHM and rehabilitation education, and CG participants will receive chemotherapy combined with placebo and rehabilitation education. The herbal treatment patients will be given granules daily and LZJ exercises will be performed four times per week during chemotherapy. The primary outcome is QoL, which will be assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-QLQ-C43 scale in each cycle. The secondary outcomes include the 2-year disease-free survival rate, disease-free survival, TCM symptoms, tumor markers, safety, and adverse events. After treatment, the patients will be followed up every 3 months within 2 years and every 6 months after 2 years until disease recurrence and/or metastasis.

Discussion

Our previous study reported that CHM in combination with chemotherapy could lower the overall incidence of adverse events but increased digestive and gastrointestinal side effects compared with chemotherapy alone in postoperative NSCLC patients. This study will lay a foundation for the effectiveness of chemotherapy with or without a comprehensive rehabilitation program for QoL in patients with postoperative NSCLC.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03372694. Retrospectively registered on 17 December 2018.

Prognostic value of adjuvant therapy in T4 non-small cell lung cancer: An inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis

Background

According to the current clinical guidelines, chemoradiotherapy is considered the standard treatment for locally advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed the prognostic effect of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in resected patients using the new eighth tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging systems based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.

Methods

We identified 3008 patients with stage IIIA NSCLC (T4N0M0) who underwent sublobar resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy. Covariates affecting treatment selection or survival were included as part of propensity score models for matching and weighting. The effect of ACT on survival was assessed, stratified by postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) use, tumor size, and age.

Results

Analyses of 2016 patients were conducted with standardized differences in covariates < 10% after matching. ACT was associated with significantly improved five‐year overall survival (51.1% vs. 39.7%; P = 0.0260) in patients aged 21–65 with > 7 cm tumors, even after adjusting for the presence or absence of the superior sulcus (P = 0.0003). No significant outcomes were observed using other stratifications in the matched analysis. Moreover, ACT with PORT conferred a potential survival benefit in 21–65‐year‐old patients with 0–7 cm tumors (for all causes of death: hazard ratio 0.414, 95% confidence interval 0.251–0.684).

Conclusion

In this population‐based cohort, ACT prolonged the survival of patients aged 21–65 with a tumor > 7 cm, with or without PORT. Inverse probability of treatment weighting can estimate the treatment effect and is suitable for use with survival data.

Real life adjuvant chemotherapy uptake and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer after complete resection

OBJECTIVES

Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become a standard of care in patients with stages IIA, IIB, and IIIA after complete tumor resection. Utilization and outcome of AC in routine practice is described in a few studies, with non-conclusive results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent curative-intent surgery. Data of AC uptake in stages IB (tumor of ≥4 cm in diameter), II, and IIIA, and reasons of AC omission were evaluated according to medical records. Mortality risk among patients treated with surgery (only) and different types of AC in routine practice was compared.

RESULTS

AC was applied to 79% of patients with stages IB (tumor of ≥4 cm in diameter), II, and IIIA, and was associated with an improved median of overall survival (HR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.44-1.06). Significantly longer survival was achieved in the sub-group treated with platinum and oral vinorelbine (HR = 0.575, 95% CI = 0.339-0.974), and the longest survival was among patients treated with oral vinorelbine and cisplatin (HR = 0.371, 95% CI = 0.168-0.820).

CONCLUSIONS

AC utilization should be based on co-operation between surgeons, pneumo-oncologists, and patients. Rational use of AC offers better survival in routine practice.

Cell cycle progression score is a marker for five-year lung cancer-specific mortality risk in patients with resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma

Purpose

The goals of our study were (a) to validate a molecular expression signature (cell cycle progression [CCP] score and molecular prognostic score [mPS; combination of CCP and pathological stage {IA or IB}]) that identifies stage I lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) patients with a higher risk of cancer-specific death following curative-intent surgical resection, and (b) to determine whether mPS stratifies prognosis within stage I lung ADC histological subtypes.

Methods

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded stage I lung ADC tumor samples from 1200 patients were analyzed for 31 proliferation genes by quantitative RT-PCR. Prognostic discrimination of CCP score and mPS was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression, using 5-year lung cancer–specific mortality as the primary outcome.

Results

In multivariable analysis, CCP score was a prognostic marker for 5-year lung cancer–specific mortality (HR=1.6 per interquartile range; 95% CI, 1.14–2.24; P=0.006). In a multivariable model that included mPS instead of CCP, mPS was a significant prognostic marker for 5-year lung cancer–specific mortality (HR=1.77; 95% CI, 1.18–2.66; P=0.006). Five-year lung cancer–specific survival differed between low-risk and high-risk mPS groups (96% vs 81%; P<0.001). In patients with intermediate-grade lung ADC of acinar and papillary subtypes, high mPS was associated with worse 5-year lung cancer–specific survival (P<0.001 and 0.015, respectively), compared with low mPS.

Conclusion

This study validates CCP score and mPS as independent prognostic markers for lung cancer–specific mortality and provides quantitative risk assessment, independent of known high-risk features, for stage I lung ADC patients treated with surgery alone.

Advances in proton therapy in lung cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States (US) and worldwide. Radiation therapy is a mainstay in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and serves as an excellent alternative for early stage patients who are medically inoperable or who decline surgery. Proton therapy has been shown to offer a significant dosimetric advantage in NSCLC patients over photon therapy, with a decrease in dose to vital organs at risk (OARs) including the heart, lungs and esophagus. This in turn, can lead to a decrease in acute and late toxicities in a population already predisposed to lung and cardiac injury. Here, we present a review on proton treatment techniques, studies, clinical outcomes and toxicities associated with treating both early stage and locally advanced NSCLC.

Carboplatin with intravenous and subsequent oral administration of vinorelbine in resected non-small-cell-lung cancer in real-world set-up

OBJECTIVES

Adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy is recommended for routine use in patients with Stage IIA, IIB or IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete resection. Results obtained for Stage IB were not conclusive. While vinorelbine plus cisplatin is the preferred choice after resection, combining vinorelbine with carboplatin promises improved compliance and delivery of drugs due to lower toxicity. We evaluated the impact of this option on treatment compliance and survival under real-world conditions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A prospective, single-arm, multicenter, non-interventional study evaluated the tolerability, dose intensity and survival resulting from adjuvant use of intravenous carboplatin (AUC 5 on day 1) with vinorelbine administered both intravenously (25 mg/m2 on day 1) and orally (60 mg/m2 on day 8) within four cycles of 21 days each. A total of 74 patients with a median age of 64 years were observed.

RESULTS

The mean number of accomplished cycles was 3.78, and 62 patients (83.7%) completed all four planned cycles. Relative dose intensity for carboplatin was 88.9%, for intravenous vinorelbine 93.1%, and for oral vinorelbine 83.2%. Median follow-up was 4.73 years. Median disease-specific survival (DSS) was 7.63 years, median overall survival (OS) was 5.90 years, median disease-free survival (DFS0) was 4.43 years, and five-year survival was 56.2%. TNM stage of disease significantly affected DSS and OS. Favorable survival was observed in females, nonsmokers, patients aged over 65 years, patient with prior lobectomy, patients with tumor of squamous histology, and those who finished the planned therapy, but the differences were non-significant.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant carboplatin with vinorelbine switched from intravenous to oral administration was shown to be a favorable regimen with regard to tolerability and safety. Compliance to therapy was high, and survival parameters were promising, showing that applied regimen can be another potential option for adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients with T2N0M0 NSCLC

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with completely resected stage II and III NSCLC. However, its role in patients with stage IB NSCLC disease remains unclear. We evaluated the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in a large data set of patients with completely resected T2N0M0 NSCLC.

METHODS

Patients with pathologic stage T2N0M0 NSCLC who underwent complete (R0) resection between 2004 and 2011 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base and classified into four groups based on tumor size: 3.1 to 3.9 cm, 4 to 4.9 cm, 5 to 5.9 cm, and 6 to 7 cm. Patients who died within 1 month after their operation were excluded. Survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method and compared by log-rank test.

RESULTS

Among the 25,267 patients who met the inclusion criteria, there were 4996 (19.7%) who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved median and 5-year overall survival compared with observation for all tumor size groups. In patients with T2 tumors smaller than 4 cm, adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved median and 5-year overall survival in univariate (101.6 versus 68.2 months [67% versus 55%], hazard ratio [HR] = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-0.72, p < 0.0001) and multivariable analysis (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70-0.83, p < 0.001) as well as propensity-matched score (101.6 versus 78.9 months [68% versus 60%], HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.70-0.86; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with completely resected T2N0M0, adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in all tumor size groups. The benefit in patients with tumors smaller than 4 cm strongly suggests a role for chemotherapy in this patient population and counters its current status as an exclusion criteria for adjuvant trials.

Prognostic significance of centrosomal protein 55 in stage I pulmonary adenocarcinoma after radical resection

Background

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma is a predominant pathologic non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a high morbidity in China. Even at histological stage I, many patients still experience recurrence after radical surgery; therefore, it is critical to determine useful indicators to stratify patients according to recurrent risk. Centrosomal protein 55 (CEP55) shares certain characteristics with oncogenes and aberrant expression of CEP55 can lead to tumorigenesis. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of CEP55 in stage I pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We enrolled 106 patients with stage I pulmonary adenocarcinoma who had received complete resection in our study. CEP55 expression levels in the pulmonary tissues of all patients were validated by Western blot analyses and immunohistochemistry. SPSS 17.0 software was employed to analyze the correlation between CEP55 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients, as well as prognosis.

Results

CEP55 overexpression was detected in 67 patients (63.2%). Overexpression is associated with tumor differentiation (P = 0.036), T stage (P = 0.000) and visceral pleural invasion (P = 0.009). Patients with CEP55 overexpression had worse survival compared with those with low expression (P = 0.043). Univariate analysis revealed that T stage (P = 0.000), differentiation degree (P = 0.002), visceral pleural invasion (P = 0.000), and tumor size (P = 0.013) were also significant prognostic factors.

Conclusion

CEP55 is a useful predicator to improve stratification of patients with stage I pulmonary adenocarcinoma.