Researchers have found that selected patients with stage-I small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who underwent a lobectomy had an excellent overall survival rate without additional treatment. The study published in February’s edition of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology investigated the utilization of surgery and the subsequent need for radiotherapy (RT).

Using cases from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, researchers evaluated the outcomes of 247 stage-I SCLC patients who underwent lobectomies, Patients who underwent lobectomies without RT showed a 51.8% 3-year and 50.3% 5-year survival rate. Patients who supplemented surgery with RT showed a 64.9% 3-year and 57.1% 5-year survival rate.
 

“We cannot say conclusively whether patients who endure invasive surgeries can go without additional adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy, but looking forward, the study findings create a platform for advancing the understanding of the role of surgery in therapy,” said study lead investigator James B. Yu, MD, of Yale University.

Source: EurekAlert