Surgical Outcomes After Chemotherapy Plus Nivolumab and Chemotherapy Plus Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study reviews 44 patients with stage IB (larger than 4 cm) to IIIA non-small cell lung cancer who were treated on sequential platform arms of the NEOSTAR trial. Twenty-two patients were treated with nivolumab and chemotherapy and 22 patients were treated with ipilimumab, nivolumab, and chemotherapy. While surgical resections are feasible and safe, the vast majority of resections are performed via thoracotomy. Interestingly, the addition of ipilimumab seems to correlate with a higher major pathological response (MPR), and perceived difficulty of resection by surgeons, likely due to increased tissue inflammation. Postoperatively, there did not seem to be a difference in adverse effects amongst the groups, although small sample size may limit conclusions.