High Risk of Brain Metastases in Surgically Staged IIIA Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Radiation

Abstract

Patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy for N2-positive stage IIIA NSCLC enjoy an advantage in both OS and PFS if their lymph node status is downstaged to N(0). Because brain metastases constitute the most common site of failure in these patients, future studies focusing on prophylaxis of brain metastases may improve the outcome in patients with stage IIIA NSCLC.