For stage I/II NSCLC, the primary treatment is which?

For stage I/II NSCLC, the primary treatment is which?

• A. Surgery alone (segmentectomy or lobectomy)
• B. Radiation therapy
• C. Chemotherapy alone
• D. Immunotherapy alone

Answer: (A)

Early-stage NSCLC is localized to the lung and offers the best chance for cure with surgical removal. The standard approach is an anatomic resection—usually a lobectomy—with systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection. In select patients with very small tumors or limited pulmonary reserve, a segmentectomy may be considered. Radiation therapy is reserved for patients who cannot undergo surgery or used in specific postoperative or nonoperative contexts, but it is not the preferred primary treatment when resection is feasible. Chemotherapy or immunotherapy alone does not cure early-stage disease; chemotherapy may be added after surgery in higher-stage or node-positive cases to improve outcomes. So, the primary treatment for stage I/II NSCLC that is operable is surgery.

Early-stage NSCLC is localized to the lung and offers the best chance for cure with surgical removal. The standard approach is an anatomic resection—usually a lobectomy—with systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection. In select patients with very small tumors or limited pulmonary reserve, a segmentectomy may be considered. Radiation therapy is reserved for patients who cannot undergo surgery or used in specific postoperative or nonoperative contexts, but it is not the preferred primary treatment when resection is feasible. Chemotherapy or immunotherapy alone does not cure early-stage disease; chemotherapy may be added after surgery in higher-stage or node-positive cases to improve outcomes. So, the primary treatment for stage I/II NSCLC that is operable is surgery.