What Is Neoadjuvant Therapy for Lung Cancer?
Neoadjuvant therapy refers to treatment โ such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or both โ given before surgery, with the goal of shrinking a tumor enough to make complete surgical removal possible.
For lung cancers that are borderline operable, particularly some stage III cases where cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, neoadjuvant treatment aims to reduce tumor size and extent before a surgeon attempts removal, potentially increasing the number of patients for whom complete surgical resection becomes possible.
Recent trial data, including a 2026 Alliance Foundation Trials study, found that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy before surgery helped a majority of enrolled patients with locally advanced NSCLC become eligible for surgery, with a substantial share achieving complete clearance of cancer from affected lymph nodes.
Neoadjuvant strategies are studied alongside adjuvant therapy (treatment given after surgery), and some current trials test both approaches together โ treatment before surgery to enable resection, followed by additional treatment afterward to reduce recurrence risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is neoadjuvant therapy the same as adjuvant therapy?
No โ neoadjuvant therapy is given before surgery, while adjuvant therapy is given after surgery; some treatment plans use both.
Does neoadjuvant therapy work for all lung cancer patients?
It's studied primarily in specific stages and situations, particularly locally advanced NSCLC, and is not applicable to every lung cancer diagnosis.