Trial Comparing Systemic Therapy Alone and With Local Ablative Treatment for Stage IV NSCL Cancer Patients

In this study, the aim is to find out whether, after a good response to standard therapy, it is better if the main tumor and metastases are additionally removed by surgery and/or radiation. This intervention is referred to as local ablative therapy (LAT). There is evidence to suggest that this additional intervention may prolong the average time to possible cancer recurrence (PFS: Progression-free survival) or lead to longer survival on average. Therefore, the question is to know if these treatments prolong life, and if so, by how much and with what implications. Currently, patients who respond to initial standard therapy are not routinely offered LAT. If the results of this study are positive, it will lead to a fundamental change in the current standard of practice. The benefit of a therapy is not solely determined by the extension of PFS or overall survival but also heavily influenced by how the therapy impacts patient's quality of life. Medication side effects, pain, fatigue, nausea or extended hospital stays can significantly diminish the perceived positive effects of a treatment from the patient's viewpoint, even if it appears favorable from a medical standpoint. Therefore, the assessment of quality of life through patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) is a central aspect of this study. This study will enroll 128 patients from different Swiss hospitals, randomly assigning them to either the intervention group (LAT) or a control group (standard therapy). The study is expected to span approximately two years for each patient.