Ten-year follow-up outcomes of resected stage II non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Background: Stage II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprises a diverse group of cancers with varying characteristics. This study aims to report the long-term outcomes of stage II NSCLC and gain insights into the potential benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: Lung cancer patients who underwent surgery between November 2007 and December 2013 were reviewed. Clinicopathological characteristics were collected retrospectively. Post-operative survival and recurrence status were analyzed. Results: A total of 416 patients with stage II NSCLC were enrolled. The median follow-up period after surgery was 116 months. The overall survival rate at 5 and 10 years was 55.0%and 40.7%, respectively, while the recurrence-free survival rate at 5 and 10 years were 53.9% and 49.0%, respectively. Patients with stage II NSCLC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had improved survival compared to those not receiving (log-rank P<0.001). Further subgroup analysis confirmed that the survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy was limited in IIB-N1/2a. For sub-group patients with high-risk factors (HRFs) in IIA or IIB-N0, adjuvant chemotherapy would improve survival as well. Conclusions: Our study presents long-term follow-up results for patients with stage II NSCLC, and our findings suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended for patients with stage IIA or IIB-N0 NSCLC who have HRFs, as well as for patients with stage IIB-N1/2a NSCLC.