Adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in NSCLC: a paradigm shift

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remained controversial for many years. Although a positive impact on overall survival was long suggested for cisplatin-based chemotherapy, early randomized clinical trials failed to confirm a clear survival benefit. Recently, the results from 4 large randomized trials, IALT, JBR.10, CALGB 9633, and ANITA indicate a significant survival benefit with adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with IB through IIIA NSCLC, and the results of these trials support the adoption of chemotherapy in addition to surgery as a new standard of care. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is potentially better tolerated compared to post-surgical adjuvant chemotherapy, though definitive survival benefits with this approach have yet to be shown. The current status of adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with early-stage NSCLC will be discussed.