Surprised by stage III: unexpected N2 lymph node involvement found during surgery for early-stage NSCLC.

Dr. Camidge: To summarize, this patient is a relatively young, otherwise healthy female who is status post lobectomy. She has been diagnosed with stage IIIA NSCLC that is EGFR-positive by IHC and FISH, but EGFR and KRAS wild type. Optimal MLNS or MLND is ideally performed in the pre- and/or perioperative setting, but this did not happen in this case. While more extensive examination of the mediastinum after the primary operation could be undertaken--removing some of the unknowns about this patient's true stage and prognosis--the relative risks and benefits of such an additional procedure in the setting of PET-negative microscopic level 7 and 9 disease probably do not justify such an approach. Assuming the absence of additional information, the recommendation of the University of Colorado Clinical Thoracic Oncology program is to commence a course of four cycles of adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The pros and cons of postoperative radiotherapy will be discussed with the patient. If she wishes to proceed with PORT, this will commence following the adjuvant chemotherapy. Due to the inadequate lymph node sampling, she would not be eligible for adjuvant therapy as part of the ECOG 1505 trial of cisplatin chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab, but if she declines PORT, she may be eligible for the RADIANT trial of erlotinib vs placebo following her adjuvant cisplatin-based therapy.