Optimal treatment for T1-3NOMO small cell lung cancer: surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy

To improve treatment results in patients with surgically resectable T1-3NOMO small cell lung cancer, 16 patients were randomized to receive either neoadjuvant (preoperative) or adjuvant (postoperative) chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and etoposide). The overall survival is 45% at a median follow-up of 28.5 months. Patients treated with surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 8) showed a significantly higher median and overall survival, proportion of 2-year survivors, and lower systemic relapse rate. These results indicate that the optimal treatment for T1-3NOMO small cell lung cancer is represented by the combination of surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy.