Recurrence-Free Survival in Patients With Surgically Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Literature...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Standard treatment for early-stage or locoregionally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) involves surgical resection.
• Postsurgical recurrence remains a significant concern in NSCLC, yet comprehensive data on recurrence-free survival (RFS) is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the recurrence-free survival (RFS) at various time points after surgery for patients with stage I-III NSCLC.
• To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with postsurgical RFS in NSCLC.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases (January 2011 - June 2021).
• Single-arm, random-effects meta-analyses calculated RFS at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years postresection.
• Analyses stratified by AJCC staging (7th/8th editions), with meta-regressions exploring factors associated with RFS.

Main Results:

• Analyzed data from 471 studies including 60,695 patients.
• Five-year RFS ranged from 82% for stage I to 34% for stage III NSCLC.
• Worse RFS was significantly associated with older age, higher proportion of males, advanced stage, larger tumor size, and geographic region (North America/Europe vs. Asia).

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis provides robust estimates of postsurgical RFS for NSCLC across different stages and time points.
• Findings highlight key prognostic factors influencing recurrence after surgery for NSCLC.
• Results can guide clinical decision-making, optimize treatment strategies, and inform future research for improving NSCLC patient outcomes.