Surgery after Induction Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: For patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or positive N1 nodes, multimodality treatment is indicated. However, the optimal management of patients presenting with ipsilateral positive mediastinal nodes (N2 disease) has not been determined yet. Different treatment regimens consisting of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery have been proposed and implemented previously. In more recent years, immunotherapy and targeted therapies have been added as therapeutic options. The introduction of these newer modalities has raised questions on the role of surgery after targeted therapy or immunotherapy. Recent studies have shown that surgical resection after induction immunotherapy or targeted therapy is indeed feasible, but is associated with a higher risk of conversion and increased morbidity due to hilar inflammation. In this review, we summarize the latest data on outcomes of patients undergoing surgical resection after induction immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy. Treatment outcomes have to be carefully evaluated to determine the contribution of surgery in multimodality treatment regimens including immunotherapy and targeted therapies. ABSTRACT: Multimodality therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a complex and controversial issue, especially regarding optimal treatment regimens for patients with ipsilateral positive mediastinal nodes (N2 disease). Many trials investigating neoadjuvant immunotherapy and targeted therapy in this subpopulation have shown promising results, although concerns have risen regarding surgical feasibility. A thorough literature review was performed, analyzing all recent studies regarding surgical morbidity and mortality. Despite the fact that two major trials investigating this subject were terminated early, the overall consensus is that surgical management seems feasible. However, dissection of hilar vessels may be challenging due to hilar fibrosis. Further research is necessary to identify the role of surgery in these multimodality treatment regimens, and to define matters such as the optimal treatment regimen, the dosage of the different agents used, the interval between induction therapy and surgery, and the role of adjuvant therapy.