Preoperative chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data

This systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data from 15 RCTs (2385 pts) assessed the utility of preoperative chemotherapy in patients with primarily stages Ib-IIIa NSCLC.  Chemotherapy resulted in a 13% reduction in death (HR 0.87, p=0.007), and a 5% survival improvement at 5 years. Improvement was also evident for recurrence free survival and time to distant recurrence.  There was no evidence for a difference in effects based on chemo regimens or patient characteristics.