Evaluation of prognostic factors in lung cancers with surgical complete response after induction treatment

This study aims to evaluate long-term results of induction treatment and to investigate prognostic factors affecting survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients with a pathological complete response.

Between January 2010 and December 2017, a total of 39 patients (38 males, 1 female; mean age: 56.2±8.3 years; range, 38 to 77 years) having locally advanced (IIIA-IIIB) non-small cell lung cancer who were given induction treatment and underwent surgery after induction treatment and had a pathological complete response were retrospectively analyzed. Survival rates of the patients and prognostic factors of survival were analyzed.

Clinical staging before induction treatment revealed Stage IIB, IIIA, and IIIB disease in three (7.7%), 26 (66.7%), and 10 (25.6%) patients, respectively. The five-year overall survival rate was 61.2%, and the disease-free survival rate was 55.1%. In nine (23.1%) patients, local and distant recurrences were detected in the postoperative period.

In patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer undergoing surgery after induction treatment, the rates of pathological complete response are at considerable levels. In these patients, the five-year overall survival is quite satisfactory and the most important prognostic factor affecting overall survival is the presence of single-station N2.