Adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.
Approximately 80% of lung malignancies are non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Patients diagnosed with early-stage disease (about 30% of patients) undergo surgery, but up to 50% develop local or distant recurrence. In an effort to improve survival for patients with resectable NSCLC, chemotherapy has been explored in the adjuvant setting. Several adjuvant trials were launched in the mid 1990s after an individual data-based meta-analysis suggested a 5% survival benefit at 5 years. Among those, the International Adjuvant Lung Cancer Trial (IALT) study, with 1,867 patients included, confirmed the benefit of postoperative chemotherapy in resected NSCLC. More recently, modern platinum-containing doublets showed a 10% to 15% overall benefit compared to no adjuvant treatment. In this article, the current status of adjuvant chemotherapy is reviewed, and future prospects are discussed.
Department of Medicine, Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France.
Julien
J
Dômont
Jean-Charles
JC
Soria
Thierry
T
Le Chevalier
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor