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. 2025 Feb;169(2):436-444.e6.
doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2024.05.009. Epub 2024 May 22.

High-risk features associated with recurrence in stage I lung adenocarcinoma

Cameron N Fick  1 , Elizabeth G Dunne  1 , Stijn Vanstraelen  1 , Nicolas Toumbacaris  2 , Kay See Tan  2 , Gaetano Rocco  3 , Daniela Molena  3 , James Huang  3 , Bernard J Park  3 , Natasha Rekhtman  4 , William D Travis  4 , Jamie E Chaft  5 , Matthew J Bott  3 , Valerie W Rusch  3 , Prasad S Adusumilli  3 , Smita Sihag  3 , James M Isbell  3 , David R Jones  6
Affiliations

High-risk features associated with recurrence in stage I lung adenocarcinoma

Cameron N Fick et al. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: There is a lack of knowledge regarding the use of prognostic features in stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Thus, we investigated clinicopathologic features associated with recurrence after complete resection for stage I LUAD.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with pathologic stage I LUAD who underwent R0 resection from 2010 to 2020. Exclusion criteria included history of lung cancer, induction or adjuvant therapy, noninvasive or mucinous LUAD, and death within 90 days of surgery. Fine and Gray competing-risk regression assessed associations between clinicopathologic features and disease recurrence.

Results: In total, 1912 patients met inclusion criteria. Most patients (1565 [82%]) had stage IA LUAD, and 250 developed recurrence: 141 (56%) distant and 109 (44%) locoregional only. The 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence was 12% (95% CI, 11%-14%). Higher maximum standardized uptake value of the primary tumor (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04), sublobar resection (HR, 2.04), higher International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer grade (HR, 5.32 [grade 2]; HR, 7.93 [grade 3]), lymphovascular invasion (HR, 1.70), visceral pleural invasion (HR, 1.54), and tumor size (HR, 1.30) were independently associated with a hazard of recurrence. Tumors with 3 to 4 high-risk features had a higher cumulative incidence of recurrence at 5 years than tumors without these features (30% vs 4%; P < .001).

Conclusions: Recurrence after resection for stage I LUAD remains an issue for select patients. Commonly reported clinicopathologic features can be used to define patients at high risk of recurrence and should be considered when assessing the prognosis of patients with stage I disease.

Keywords: IASLC grade; SUVmax; high risk; lymphovascular invasion; recurrence; stage I lung adenocarcinoma; visceral pleural invasion.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement Dr Rocco has financial relationships with Scanlan International, AstraZeneca, and Medtronic. Dr Molena serves on a steering committee for AstraZeneca, consults for Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, and has been an invited speaker for Merck and Genentech. Dr Park has received honoraria from Intuitive Surgical, AstraZeneca, Medtronic, consults for CEEVRA, and has received research support from Intuitive Surgical. Dr Chaft consults for AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Regeneron-Sanofi, Guardant Health, and Lily and receives research funding from AztraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, and Beigene. Dr Bott consults for AstraZeneca, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Intuitive Surgical, and receives research support from Obsidian Therapeutics. Dr Rusch reports grant support from Genelux and Genentech, and travel support from Intuitive Surgical and National Institutes of Health/Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials. Dr Adusumilli declares research funding from ATARA Biotherapeutics; is a scientific advisory board member and consultant for ATARA Biotherapeutics, Bayer, Bio4T2, Carisma Therapeutics, Imugene, ImmPactBio, Johnson & Johnson, Orion, and Outpace Bio; has patents, royalties, and intellectual property on T-cell therapies licensed to ATARA Biotherapeutics; and has an issued patent method for detection of cancer cells using virus and pending patent applications on PD-1 dominant negative receptor, a wireless pulse-oximetry device, and an ex vivo malignant pleural effusion culture system. Dr Sihag serves on the AstraZeneca advisory board. Dr Isbell has served on advisory boards for AstraZeneca and Merck; as an uncompensated steering board member for Genentech; has received research support from ArcherDx/Invitae, Guardant Health, GRAIL, Intuitive Surgical; has received travel support from Intuitive Surgical; and has equity/ownership interest in LumaCyte. Dr Jones serves on the advisory council for AstraZeneca and receives research grant support from Merck. All other authors reported no conflicts of interest. The Journal policy requires editors and reviewers to disclose conflicts of interest and to decline handling manuscripts for which they may have a conflict of interest. The editors and reviewers of this article have no conflicts of interest.

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