Neoadjuvant therapy bridging percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS)...

Currently, there is no unified standard for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the treatments have their own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant therapy during the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) period before surgery in patients with NSCLC coexisting with CAD after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment.

We retrospectively included 13 patients with T2aN0M0 (stage IB) NSCLC who also had concomitant CAD. After PCI treatment, neoadjuvant targeted or immunotherapy was administered based on the type of lung cancer, and the effects on treatment and impact on surgery were observed.

The objective response rate (ORR) after neoadjuvant treatment in 13 patients was 53.8% [95% confidence interval (CI): 25.1-80.8%], and the disease control rate (DCR) reached 100%. Ten patients (76.9%) experienced adverse events (AEs) ≤ grade 2. All patients underwent standard VATS lobectomy with lymph node dissection. One case (7.7%) required conversion to open thoracotomy, and all cases achieved R0 resection. The median operative time was 150 [interquartile range (IQR) 125-250] minutes, median intraoperative blood loss was 180 (IQR 150-235) mL, median postoperative drainage tube placement time was 4 (IQR 3-5) days, median total drainage volume was 1,310 (IQR 780-1,705) mL, and the median postoperative hospitalization was 7 (IQR 7-8) days. One patient (7.7%) experienced rapid atrial fibrillation. No deaths occurred. Postoperative pathological evaluation in three cases achieved major pathological response (MPR) (23.1%, 95% CI: 5-53.8%), with two cases achieving pathological complete response (pCR) (15.4%, 95% CI: 1.9-45.4%).

The study presents initial evidence suggesting for the safety and feasibility of performing PCI treatment followed by neoadjuvant therapy during the DAPT period for patients with T2aN0M0 (IB) stage NSCLC coexisting with CAD. This approach presents a potential treatment option to control the disease while eliminating concerns about tumor progression and metastasis.