[Adjuvant and inductive systemic treatment in non-small cell lung cancer].

A large number of randomized trials have demonstrated an undoubted advantage of adjuvant chemotherapy in comparison to surgery alone. This is true for all lymph node positive cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a tumor size of 4 cm or more. Worldwide, the application of adjuvant chemotherapy for these indications is regarded as standard treatment. Due to the positive results of adjuvant chemotherapy, nearly all studies focusing on neoadjuvant chemotherapy were stopped early because control arms with surgery alone were no longer regarded as ethically justified; however, in meta-analyses the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy seems be as strong as the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy. In clinical practice neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not routinely established in early stage disease. This approach is more often applied in advanced stages, such as N2 lymph node involvement or in patients where the tumor most probably requires pneumectomy for resection. In the last decade the options for systemic treatment of NSCLC have dramatically changed. In addition to chemotherapy, targeted treatment of patients with molecularly altered tumors and immunotherapy have been used very successfully in advanced stages. The options might also have a high impact on survival in early stages and the integration of these treatment modalities in the management of early stage disease is warranted. This article summarizes the established and new options in additive systemic treatment and presents the current state of treatment.