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Review
. 2020 Jun;12(6):3390-3398.
doi: 10.21037/jtd.2020.02.46.

Novel treatment strategies for early-stage lung cancer: the oncologist's perspective

Alice Indini  1 , Erika Rijavec  1 , Claudia Bareggi  1 , Francesco Grossi  1
Affiliations
Review

Novel treatment strategies for early-stage lung cancer: the oncologist's perspective

Alice Indini et al. J Thorac Dis. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Management of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consists in multimodal treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The mainstay of treatment is radical surgery. Definitive radiotherapy using stereotactic techniques can provide adequate local disease control, and is the treatment of choice in medically inoperable patients. Most early-stage patients are at significant risk of disease relapse after local treatment. Adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy has demonstrated to provide an absolute survival benefit of 5% compared to observation. However, unlike advanced/metastatic disease, little progress has been made in the treatment of early-stage NSCLC over the past decade. In recent years, plenty of research has focused on the optimization of adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment. Several trials with novel drugs, such as targeted agents and immune-checkpoint inhibitors are currently underway, with preliminary positive results. Customization of treatment on patients' characteristics before, and major pathological response after therapy, will further improve survival outcomes in this subset of patients.

Keywords: Early-stage; adjuvant; immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs); neoadjuvant; non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2020.02.46). The series “Early Stage Lung Cancer: Sublobar Resections are a Choice?” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

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