Introduction: Induction treatment is be coming the gold standard for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancers (LA-NSCLC). In contrast to baseline positron emission/computed tomography scan (PET/CT scan), re-staging PET/CT scan has been poorly studied in LA-NSCLC.
Materials and methods: We retrospectively explored the efficacy of re-staging PET/CT scan to diagnose response and to predict disease-free survival (DFS) in 55 induction-treated LA-NSCLC further treated with curative surgery or radiation but not with adjuvant therapy.
Results: Re-staging N status by PET/CT scan significantly correlated with pathological N status. Radiological or metabolic response in the re-staging PET/CT scan was associated with a significantly better DFS, which decreased from 25.8 to 19.3, to 11.2, and to 9.4 months in cN0, cN1, cN2, and cN3 patients, respectively.
Conclusion: Re-staging PET/CT scan helps to define response and consolidation treatment in induction-treated LA-NSCLC and predicts DFS. Further extended studies should confirm our results.
Keywords: Chemoradiation; Chemotherapy; Induction treatment; Locally advanced; Non-small cell lung cancer; PET/CT scan.