Neoadjuvant treatment of early-stage resectable non-small-cell lung cancer

New approaches to the treatment of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) include a focus on improving survival for patients with stage-III disease, which has traditionally implied regionally advanced, yet potentially surgically resectable, disease. Neoadjuvant, or induction, therapy has been one such focus in order to improve control of systemic disease. The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with surgery appears to increase median survival and, perhaps more importantly, may enhance long-term survival, indicating cure. Clinical trials assessing the feasibility and efficacy of docetaxel, a taxane with considerable activity in NSCLC, alone or in combination with a platinum analog, have yielded promising results. Current research focuses on optimal integration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy into treatment strategies for patients with early-stage and locally advanced NSCLC.