Network meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of management for resectable stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer

There is controversy regarding the optimal treatment for stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to address this crucial issue through a frequentist network meta-analysis.

We conducted a literature database search for randomized controlled trials comparing the following treatment modalities before March 1st, 2023: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and various combinations of these treatments. Summary data on overall survival (OS) and treatment-related deaths (trDeath) were analyzed using frequentist methods.

Twenty-two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 3269 participants were included, covering 17 treatment regimens. In terms of overall survival, surgery followed by adjuvant targeted therapy (S-T), neoadjuvant targeted therapy followed by surgery and adjuvant targeted therapy (T-S-T), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (C-S-C) were relatively more advantageous than other treatment regimens. Overall, S-T is the most likely treatment option to prolong OS, with a 59.8% likelihood, while immunotherapy plus chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (IC-S-C) demonstrates good safety.

S-T and T-S-T treatments have the greatest potential to be the optimal overall survival treatments for stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients with positive driver genes, demonstrating significant clinical application prospects. While for patients with negative driver genes, C-S-C treatments benefit the most.

The protocol was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, PROSPERO (CRD42022372711).