The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Adjuvant chemotherapy benefits only a small proportion of patients in the setting of resected early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, and in unselected patients, any benefit is modest. Analysis of clinical trials of adjuvant chemotherapy revealed that differential expression of DNA repair proteins and a 15-gene expression profile affected outcomes with treatment. Biomarkers and gene expression profiles are now being studied in prospective clinical trials to gauge their value in selection of adjuvant therapy and individualization of therapy.