Perioperative immunotherapy for nonsmall cell lung cancer

Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in the treatment of lung cancer with immunotherapy, primarily centered on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Numerous clinical studies have evaluated or are currently evaluating the clinical benefits of neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative use of ICIs. These findings have notably reshaped the landscape of perioperative treatment for nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Comparing different treatment modes, adding ICIs in the adjuvant phase to neoadjuvant treatment with ICIs and chemotherapy may not improve survival outcomes for patients with resectable NSCLC and may be associated with increased adverse events. For prognostic factors, ctDNA minimal residual disease (MRD) status might serve as an early predictor of achieving pathological remission. For study endpoints, a positive result with PFS as the primary endpoint may not necessarily translate into overall survival benefits.

For perioperative immunotherapy, challenges persist, including the current lack of sensitive and reliable biomarkers, the effect of neoadjuvant therapy on surgical risk as well as the selection of the appropriate study endpoint. In this review, we discuss recent and ongoing trials investigating strategies of neoadjuvant, adjuvant and perioperative immunotherapy in NSCLC, while also proposing considerations for future directions in this continuously evolving field.