Utilization of Surgery and Its Impact on Survival in Patients With Early Stage Small-cell Lung Cancer in the United States

摘要

No prospective trial exists that compares the effectiveness of surgery versus chemo-radiation in patients with T1 T2 N0 M0 small-cell lung cancer. We used the National Cancer Database to identify 3879 patients. In a propensity-matched cohort, surgery followed by chemotherapy with/without prophylactic cranial irradiation showed improved survival compared with chemo-radiation. Prophylactic cranial irradiation offered a survival benefit in addition to surgery and chemotherapy. In the absence of randomized trials, our findings should be considered when treating these patients.