Long-term survival of surgically staged IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer treated with surgical combined modality approach: analysis of a 7-year prospective experience.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the outcome of surgically staged IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by surgical exploration.

Methods: Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out on a prospective cohort of 131 mediastinoscopy-proven IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients. Three preoperative cycles of vindesine-ifosfamide-cisplatin (VIP) were given. Patients with at least stable disease (SD) were considered for surgery, or radical radiotherapy in selected cases.

Results: The response rate after VIP was 54% (95% confidence interval 45% to 63%) and was important for the final outcome. The median and 5-year survival for the total group were 24 months and 21% (38 months and 30% in responders), respectively. Involvement of subcarinal nodes at diagnosis was the most important prognostic factor (P=0.022). Seventy-five patients were considered for surgery. Downstaging occurred in 34 of 70 resection specimens, with a pathological complete response in six. Median and 5-year survival in the surgical cohort were 45 months and 35%, respectively. Surgery was rewarding both in patients with a response and in those with SD, although the complete resection rate was significantly lower in the latter. On multivariate analysis, favourable prognostic factors were low pathological T-stage (P=0.001) and downstaging of mediastinal nodes in the resection specimen (P=0.008).

Conclusions: VIP induction chemotherapy followed by surgical exploration was rewarding in mediastinoscopy-proven stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC, both in cases of response and SD, despite a lower complete resection rate in the latter. Patients with subcarinal nodes at diagnosis (5-year survival 8.5%) or without nodal downstaging at post-induction surgery (13.7%) might preferably be treated with a non-surgical approach.