Neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (literature review)

Abstract

Significant number of patients with early and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develops relapses after surgical treatment. Effective medical therapy preventing relapses in operable NSCLC is apparently still urgently needed. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors has become the main treatment for progressive NSCLC. Neoadjuvant checkpoint blockade is well tolerated without causing excessive toxicity and increased postoperative complications and mortality rates. Phase II clinical trials have shown promising results, and prospective phase III trials are currently underway. The role of adjuvant immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors is unclear and remains the subject of numerous prospective studies.