Surgery After Induction Immuno-Chemotherapy in Stage III-N3 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Single-Centre Retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Medical Oncology

Background:

• Stage III-N3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents a significant therapeutic challenge.
• Neoadjuvant immuno-chemotherapy (IO-CT) followed by nodal downstaging is an evolving treatment strategy.
• Surgical resection following induction therapy is being explored for select patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of surgical intervention in patients with stage III-N3 NSCLC.
• To assess oncological outcomes after induction IO-CT and nodal downstaging with subsequent surgery.
• To compare outcomes between patients who underwent surgery and those who did not.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of stage III-N3 NSCLC patients treated with induction IO-CT.
• Inclusion criteria: confirmed N3 lymph node downstaging, resectable tumors, adequate performance status.
• Comparative analysis of baseline characteristics and oncological outcomes between surgical and non-surgical groups.

Main Results:

• 28 patients (24.6%) underwent surgery post-induction therapy.
• Surgery group patients were younger, had higher BMI, and more contralateral nodal involvement.
• Surgical intervention was associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Conclusions:

• Surgery following induction IO-CT and nodal downstaging appears feasible in carefully selected stage III-N3 NSCLC patients.
• Early findings suggest potential survival benefits for patients undergoing surgery.
• Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary results.