Persistent N2 After Induction Is Not a Contraindication to Surgery for Lung Cancer

Surgical management for potentially resectable stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. In this study, researchers examined outcomes of a well-selected surgical cohort of postinduction IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients with persistent N2 disease and found that overall survival for patients with non-R(un) or persistent N2 (true R0) was similar to those with mediastinal downstaging.
Authors say this study underscores the importance of classifying the extent of mediastinal involvement for persistent N2 patients, supporting the proposed International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer R(un) classification.