Impact of timing of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival for early-stage node-negative small-cell lung cancer.
[BACKGROUND] The relationship between timing of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival for early-stage, node-negative small cell lung cancer is not well defined, and no formal guidelines exist.
APA
Mansur A, Lee AJ, et al. (2026). Impact of timing of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival for early-stage node-negative small-cell lung cancer.. JTCVS open, 29, 101400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjon.2025.07.013
MLA
Mansur A, et al.. "Impact of timing of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival for early-stage node-negative small-cell lung cancer.." JTCVS open, vol. 29, 2026, pp. 101400.
PMID
41960064
Abstract
[BACKGROUND] The relationship between timing of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival for early-stage, node-negative small cell lung cancer is not well defined, and no formal guidelines exist. We sought to evaluate whether increasing the time between surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for pathologic stage I-IIA SCLC would be associated with worse survival.
[METHODS] The association between timing of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival for patients with pathologic stage I-IIA (pT1-2N0M0) SCLC who have 1 or fewer co-morbidities in the National Cancer Database from 2004-2021 was assessed using multivariable Cox regression analysis with penalized smoothing spline functions and propensity score-matched analysis. Adjuvant chemotherapy received within 21-40 days of surgery was classified as "earlier" while adjuvant chemotherapy received 41-90 days after surgery was classified as "later."
[RESULTS] Of 927 patients who met study criteria, the median time to adjuvant chemotherapy was 41 days (interquartile range, 34, 53). In multivariable and propensity score-matched analyses, there was no significant difference in overall survival between earlier and later adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings were consistent when limited to patients who were discharged within 4 days of surgery or when adjusting for minimally invasive surgical approaches.
[CONCLUSIONS] In this national analysis of patients with early-stage node-negative SCLC, there was no significant difference in overall survival based on the timing of adjuvant chemotherapy.
[METHODS] The association between timing of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival for patients with pathologic stage I-IIA (pT1-2N0M0) SCLC who have 1 or fewer co-morbidities in the National Cancer Database from 2004-2021 was assessed using multivariable Cox regression analysis with penalized smoothing spline functions and propensity score-matched analysis. Adjuvant chemotherapy received within 21-40 days of surgery was classified as "earlier" while adjuvant chemotherapy received 41-90 days after surgery was classified as "later."
[RESULTS] Of 927 patients who met study criteria, the median time to adjuvant chemotherapy was 41 days (interquartile range, 34, 53). In multivariable and propensity score-matched analyses, there was no significant difference in overall survival between earlier and later adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings were consistent when limited to patients who were discharged within 4 days of surgery or when adjusting for minimally invasive surgical approaches.
[CONCLUSIONS] In this national analysis of patients with early-stage node-negative SCLC, there was no significant difference in overall survival based on the timing of adjuvant chemotherapy.