Transitioning to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Trends and Surgical Outcomes in a Regionalized Pulmonary Oncology Network.

BACKGROUND: Several regulatory agencies have approved the use of the neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy for resectable stage II and III of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and numerous trials investigating novel agents are underway. However, significant concerns exist around the feasibility and safety of offering curative surgery to patients treated within such pathways. The goal in this study was to evaluate the impact of a transition towards a large-scale neoadjuvant therapy program for NSCLC. METHODS: Medical charts of patients with clinical stage II and III NSCLC who underwent resection from January 2015 to December 2020 were reviewed. The primary outcome was perioperative complication rate between neoadjuvant-treated versus upfront surgery patients. Multivariable logistic regression estimated occurrence of postoperative complications and overall survival was assessed as an exploratory secondary outcome by Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analyses. RESULTS: Of the 428 patients included, 106 (24.8%) received neoadjuvant therapy and 322 (75.2%) upfront surgery. Frequency of minor and major postoperative complications was similar between groups (P = .22). Occurrence in postoperative complication was similar in both cohort (aOR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.73-2.34). Neoadjuvant therapy administration increased from 10% to 45% with a rise in targeted and immuno-therapies over time, accompanied by a reduced rate of preoperative radiation therapy use. 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival was higher in neoadjuvant therapy compared to upfront surgery patients (Log-Rank P = .017). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in perioperative outcomes and survival were observed in resectable NSCLC patients treated by neoadjuvant therapy versus upfront surgery. Transition to neoadjuvant therapy among resectable NSCLC patients is safe and feasible from a surgical perspective.

Compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures is high among university-level students in Québec, Canada.

Background: Canada's nationwide lockdown to curb coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections affected many sectors of activity, including universities. During the 2020-2021 academic year, all students were forced to follow their lectures from home and the only in-person activity permitted to Québec university level students was to study in designated spaces of campus libraries where COVID-19 preventive measures were in place and mandatory at all times for all staff and students. The objective of this study is to evaluate university-level students' compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures in a Québec campus library. Methods: A direct in-person evaluation by a trained observer was put in place to assess students' compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures defined as proper mask wearing and 2 meter distancing. Measurements were made each Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. from March 28 to April 25, 2021, in a university library in Québec, Canada. Results: Students' compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures was high overall (78.4%) and increased over the weeks, with differences between weeks, weekdays, and time of day. Non-compliance was lower on weeks three and four of the assessment compared with week one, and higher on Sunday compared with Wednesday. Differences seen throughout the day were not statistically significant. Non-compliance with physical distancing was rarely seen. Conclusion: Most university-level students are compliant with COVID-19 preventive measures in a Québec university library: an encouraging behaviour from a public health perspective. These findings may support public health authorities or university administrators in decisions regarding different COVID-19 preventive measures directed to different universities settings, as this method can be applied to focused, rapid observational studies and can lead to data of sufficient statistical power.

Neoadjuvant Prehabilitation Therapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Optimizing Outcomes Throughout the Trajectory of Care.

BACKGROUND: Prehabilitation is well established for improving outcomes in cancer surgery. Combining prehabilitation with neoadjuvant treatments may provide an opportunity to rapidly initiate cancer-directed therapy while improving functional status in preparation for local consolidation. In this proof-of-concept study, we analyzed non-small-cell lung cancer patients who underwent simultaneous prehabilitation and neoadjuvant therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all patients who underwent neoadjuvant treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer followed by curative intent surgery between 2015 and 2021. Patients who were screened for the prehabilitation program were identified. The screening included assessment of physical performance, nutritional status, and signs of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: We identified a total of 141 patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy. Twenty patients were screened to undergo a prehabilitation program. Four patients did not complete the exercise program (1 surgical intervention too soon, 1 drop-out after the first session, and 2 patients were deemed fit without intervention). The postoperative median length of stay was 2 days (range 1-18). Patients improved their 6-minute-walk test despite undergoing neoadjuvant treatment by a mean of 33 meters (± 50, P = .1). Self-reported functional status (DASI) showed significant improvement by a mean of 10 points (± 11, P = .03), and HADS-anxiety-score was significantly reduced after the prehabilitation program by a mean of 1.5 points (± 1, P = .005). CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant prehabilitation therapy is feasible and associated with encouraging results. The performance of all measures remains a logistic challenge. With multimodal strategies for lung cancer treatment becoming key to optimal outcomes, neoadjuvant prehabilitation therapy is a concept worthy of prospective multi-center evaluation.