The role of immunotherapy as systemic therapy for nonmetastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has evolved rapidly over the last decade. There are several well-conducted phase 3 clinical trials evaluating immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, perioperative, adjuvant and nonoperative setting. In this narrative review, we summarize the data from these studies and discuss ongoing controversies in applying these data to clinical practice. These controversies relate to the value of the adjuvant component of perioperative immunotherapy, treatment of patients with PDL1 negative tumors, defining resectability, optimal use of operative versus nonoperative management, the role of stereotactic radiation therapy for very early lung cancers, and management of tumors with an oncogenic driver.

To analyze the impact of Kirsten-Rat-Sarcoma Virus (KRAS) mutations on tumor-growth as estimated by tumor-doubling-time (TDT) among solid-dominant clinical-stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Moreover, to evaluate the prognostic role of KRAS mutations, TDT and their combination in completely-resected pathologic-stage I adenocarcinomas.

Although chemoimmunotherapy is recommended for advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with low programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, no head-to-head comparisons of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been performed. Therefore, we compared the effect and safety of regimens in these patients to guide evidence-based treatment.

This study examines the imaging findings and malignancy suspicion associated with hydrogel lung tract sealants (h-LTS) used after CT-guided lung biopsy (CTLB).

While Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has favorable outcomes with targeted therapy, early-stage prognosis remains influenced by pathological factors and central nervous system (CNS) recurrence. The study aimed to clarify prognostic factors in pathological stage (pStage) I EGFR mutation-positive LUAD.

Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene occur in 7% to 23% of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A small proportion of these (3-5%) are exon 18 mutations. Neratinib, an irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), had activity in the phase II SUMMIT basket study. We report efficacy and safety of neratinib in patients with EGFR exon 18-mutant NSCLC in SUMMIT, according to prior EGFR TKI treatment.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is initially highly sensitive to chemotherapy, which often leads to significant tumor reduction. However, the majority of patients eventually develop resistance, and the disease is further complicated by its "cold" tumor microenvironment, characterized by low tumor immunogenicity and limited CD8+ T cell infiltration. These factors contribute to the poor response to immunotherapy in many cases of extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC). High-dose chemotherapy has shown potential in enhancing tumor cytoreduction, but its use is often limited by severe hematologic toxicity. Combining chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can create a synergistic effect by promoting immunogenic cell death and enhancing immune activation. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) provides a means to support hematopoietic recovery, mitigate chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, and contribute to immune reconstitution. In this context, the integration of auto-HSCT with dose-intensified chemotherapy and ICIs aims to both protect the bone marrow and enhance antitumor immune responses, potentially overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in ES-SCLC.

Immunotherapy has been widely incorporated into the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Many of these patients will experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs) without decreased efficacy. We report a retrospective analysis of the association between irAEs and efficacy outcomes from the BTCRC LUN 16-081 randomized phase 2 trial of consolidation nivolumab (N) plus ipilimumab (IPI) vs N alone following chemoradiotherapy in unresectable Stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC.

Current staging work-up does not capture all occult lymph node (OLN) disease. We sought to determine if Computer Assisted Nodule Analysis and Risk Yield (CANARY) analysis could help distinguish OLN status in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.

Patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (ALK+ NSCLC) with symptomatic brain (BM) and leptomeningeal (LM) metastases are underrepresented in clinical trials due to poor performance status. Additionally, the need for improved and validated assessment criteria for evaluating central nervous system (CNS) response remains critical. Lorlatinib has demonstrated systemic activity in patients with ALK+ NSCLC. This ongoing phase II study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lorlatinib in ALK+ NSCLC patients with progressive CNS metastases.

For early-stage lung cancer, sublobar resection (SLR) is an alternative to lobectomy, which is the standard treatment. Recently, proton therapy (PT) is being increasingly used, even in patients with operable lung cancer, as an attractive alternative to conventional radiation therapy. Thus, we performed propensity score matching (PSM) to compare the outcomes of SLR and PT in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

MET gene exon 14 skipping was identified as a potential driver mutation that occurs in approximately 3%-4% of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), typically in the absence of other driver mutations. Capmatinib and tepotinib were the first MET- tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MET-TKIs) approved by the FDA and PMDA, specifically for patients with metastatic NSCLC. Several studies have reported acquired resistance after MET-TKI treatment for MET mutation-positive NSCLC. Sequencing of the MET kinase region of resistant cell lines revealed secondary mutations at residues D1228 and Y1230 that were sensitive to type II MET-TKIs, such as cabozantinib. This suggested that sequential administration of other MET-TKIs may overcome the development of secondary mutations after acquired resistance in MET exon 14 mutation-positive NSCLC.

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), including thymoma and thymic carcinoma, are rare thoracic tumors of the anterior mediastinum. For those with advanced disease, platinum-based chemotherapy is used as first-line treatment. However, there is no standard regimen established for TET at progression after initial therapy, and treatment options for advanced/recurrent TETs are limited. Trop-2, a transmembrane glycoprotein, is overexpressed in solid tumors including thymomas and thymic carcinomas. Sacituzumab govitecan-hziy, a Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate, has shown efficacy and safety in several tumors including breast cancer. The overexpression of Trop-2 in TETs and the clinical efficacy in other malignancies provide rationale for exploring its use in thymoma and thymic carcinoma.

Adjuvant chemotherapy (Adj) reduces recurrence and improves long-term survival in patients with surgically resected lung cancer. However, it has minimal impact on patients who die without relapsing. To optimize Adj indications, we aimed to identify factors associated with nonrelapse mortality (NRM).

To determine the association between concurrent statin use with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and lung cancer-specific and overall mortality in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

To evaluate the real-world surgical and pathological outcomes following neoadjuvant nivolumab in combination with chemotherapy in a multicentre national cohort of patients.

Immuno-chemotherapy has demonstrated significant anti-tumor effects in patients with resectable nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Additionally, for patients initially diagnosed with unresectable stage III NSCLC, induction immuno-chemotherapy may achieve tumor downstaging, enabling conversion to resectable disease allowing for by R0 resection. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of induction immuno-chemotherapy followed by conversion surgery in unresectable stage III NSCLC.