title: Adjuvant chemotherapy in completely resected non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: Surgery alone has long been the standard treatment for patients with operable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, despite complete resection, 5-year survival rates have been disappointing, with about 50% of patients eventually suffering relapse and death from disease. Randomized trials conducted in the 1980s hinted at a survival benefit for postoperative cisplatin-based regimens, but they were underpowered. A meta-analysis published in 1995 found a nonsignificant 13% reduction in the risk of death associated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, with an increase of survival of 5% at 5 years. This led to renewed interest in adjuvant chemotherapy in resected NSCLC. Thousands of patients have been included in a new generation of randomized trials in the last 10 years. Most of these recent studies have now been reported and several have demonstrated a clear survival advantage for patients treated with platin-based adjuvant therapy. These results also suggest a greater benefit with modern two-drug regimens. In view of the most recent data, postoperative platin-based chemotherapy can now be considered the standard of care for completely resected NSCLC patients with good performance status.
authors.affiliation: UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 432, PO Box 301402, Houston, TX 77230-1402, USA. kpisters@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Katherine M W
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Pisters
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Le Chevalier
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic