Based on data published by the Intergroup 0139 trial, induction therapy followed by surgery in patients with stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC can increase overall survival compared to exclusive radical chemoradiation treatment.
The major handicap of all studies addressing the role of surgery in IIIA-N2 NSCLC is the difficulty of recruiting patients. Therefore, multicenter studies are necessary to confirm the hypothesis generated by the INT 0139.
