Organ preservation strategies after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in resectable non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy has shown a good therapeutic effect on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which also opens up the possibility of applying organ preservation strategies. This study investigated the feasibility of modified surgery after potent neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in central type NSCLC. METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, patients with central type NSCLC who received 2–4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy between January 2019 and June 2022 at Air Force Medical University Tangdu Hospital and Peking University People's Hospital were eligible. Patients were divided into modified and nonmodified groups according to the extent of surgery, after which, the safety and long-term prognosis of surgery were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 84 patients were enrolled. Of 36 (42.9%) patients who underwent modified surgery, 21 patients underwent lobectomy, 12 patients underwent lobectomy with bronchoplasty, 2 patients underwent sleeve lobectomy, and 1 patient underwent bilobectomy. The modification rate for the initially estimated pneumonectomy, sleeve lobectomy, and bilobectomy was 48.6, 44.8, and 30%, respectively. Grades II–V postoperative complications were found in 5 (13.9%) patients in the modified group and 17 (35.4%) patients in the nonmodified group (relative risk, 0.393; 95% CI, 0.016–0.963; P=0.026). No significant difference was observed regarding the surgical approach, operative duration, blood loss, or R0 resection rate. The 2-year local recurrence rate was 3.7% (95% CI, 0.004–0.175) and 5.2% (95% CI, 0.012–0.168) in the modified group and nonmodified group, respectively. The 1-year PFS rate of modified and nonmodified groups was 97.1% (95% CI, 83.7–99.8) and 86.9% (95% CI, 73.4–94.4), respectively, while 2-year PFS were 89.8% (95% CI, 74.1–96.9) and 71.8% (95% CI, 56.7–83.4), respectively. CONCLUSION: Applying organ preservation strategies, that is, undergoing modified surgery after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, is feasible for selected central type NSCLC patients with favorable safety and long-term survival.