Published online Sep 24, 2022. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v13.i9.758
Peer-review started: May 9, 2022
First decision: June 16, 2022
Revised: July 6, 2022
Accepted: August 30, 2022
Article in press: August 30, 2022
Published online: September 24, 2022
Processing time: 136 Days and 5.1 Hours
Recent data from a phase 3 trial have shown that the addition of immunotherapy to neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves event-free survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This is the first positive phase 3 trial in this setting, although several phase 3 trials are currently investigating the efficacy of neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy in resectable NSCLC.
Core Tip: Recent data from a phase 3 trial show that the addition of immunotherapy to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) improves pathologic complete response and event-free survival. This is the first positive phase 3 trial in this setting, although several other phase 3 studies are currently investigating the efficacy of neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy in resectable NSCLC. We describe the results of the CheckMate-816 phase 3 trial, which found that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy was superior to chemotherapy alone. We also briefly review the main phase 3 studies currently underway to evaluate the role of immunotherapy in the perioperative setting of NSCLC.