Localized non-small cell lung cancer treatment
Patients with non-small cell lung cancer localized in the chest (stages I, II and III) may be considered for a primary surgical treatment or radiotherapy, or a concomitant/sequential chemo-radiotherapy based on the disease extension and other parameters (i.e. patient’s health status, etc.).
To improve a surgical treatment’s outcome, patients often receive chemotherapy before or after surgery. The exception to this are patients in stage I, with a tumor <4 cm and no lymph node involvement.
This is why the best treatment is chosen in a multidisciplinary meeting, taking place on a weekly basis. During these meetings, doctors discuss the patients’ cases to define together the best possible therapeutic strategy.
Stage III patients with unresectable disease
For patients in stage IIIA or IIIB, who cannot undergo surgery and are in good general conditions, the treatment is chemotherapy with a platinum doublet along with radiotherapy. Depending on the patient’s general condition, age and presence of comorbidities, the chemo-radiotherapy may be concomitant or sequential.
Thanks to the results of the PACIFIC study, those patients who have completed chemotherapy and radiotherapy and have not developed disease progression, therapy may continue with durvalumab, a PD-L1 inhibitor. Durvalumab is given intravenously every 2 weeks for a total of 12 months.
To learn more about the side effects of durvalumab, go to Side Effects.
