Abstract
Of the patients that undergo complete resection of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 30-60% will die. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy has yet to demonstrate an unequivocal benefit and there are significant difficulties in administering postoperative chemotherapy to patients with the significant comorbidities found in NSCLC. Currently, several trials are evaluating the role of preoperative chemotherapy in stage I and II NSCLC. This paper reviews the rationale for this approach and potential future developments.
MeSH terms
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Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
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Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / classification*
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / surgery
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Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / methods*
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Clinical Trials as Topic
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Humans
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Lung Neoplasms / classification*
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Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy
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Lung Neoplasms / surgery
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Neoadjuvant Therapy / methods*
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Neoplasm Staging
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Recurrence