Treatment of Stages IIIB and IIIC NSCLC

On the basis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program registry, the estimated incidence of stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is 17.6%.[1] The anticipated 5-year survival rate for most patients who present with clinical stage IIIB NSCLC is 3% to 7%.[2] In small case series, selected patients with T4, N0–1 disease, solely as the result of satellite tumor nodule(s) within the primary lobe, had 5-year survival rates of 20%.[3,4][Level of evidence C1]