Targeted Therapy Followed by Cytotoxic Chemotherapy in Preoperative Patients With Locally Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background: Although oncogene-targeted therapy is a first-line treatment for advanced, unresectable lung adenocarcinoma harboring a target gene mutation, its effect on potentially resectable, locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear.

Patients and methods: Ten patients with clinically diagnosed stage III lung adenocarcinoma harboring a target gene mutation were enrolled in the current feasibility study of targeted therapy followed by cytotoxic chemotherapy (platinum and pemetrexed) before radical surgery.

Results: Complete resection was accomplished in all nine patients who went on to surgery (one patient refused surgery), and all of these patients recovered without major postoperative complications. Overall, almost all of the patients who underwent surgery remain disease-free after a median follow-up of 22 months since the initial treatment, with only one patient dying of recurrence.

Conclusion: Radical surgery after the sequential use of cytostatic and cytotoxic drugs resulted in a favorable short-term outcome.