Perioperative immunotherapy for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Lung cancer, of which non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Anatomic pulmonary resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy is considered the standard-of-care for patients with resectable NSCLC; however, postoperative relapses and metastases remain common. Immunotherapy, mainly with immune checkpoint inhibitors, has revolutionized the treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC. In addition, it provides a new strategy for the perioperative treatment of resectable NSCLC. Initial encouraging results have been reported from clinical studies exploring different immunotherapeutic strategies for resectable NSCLC. This review summarizes the results of the latest clinical trials evaluating various perioperative immunotherapeutic approaches aimed at improving the outcomes of patients with resectable NSCLC.