Closing Perspectives: Unmet Needs, Emerging Advances, and the Future of Early-Stage NSCLC Treatment

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In this concluding segment, Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, invites final reflections from the panel on future directions in early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) care. Brendon Stiles, MD, envisions a future where complete pathologic responders may forego surgery, whereas biomarker-positive patients could undergo escalated treatment. He stresses the importance of individualized, biomarker-driven therapy guided by tools like ctDNA and robotic bronchoscopy.

Mara Antonoff, MD, FACS, reinforces the need for all specialties to have a seat at the table—not only in clinical care but also in clinical trial design and execution. She anticipates a shift where patients once considered unresectable become candidates for curative surgery, whereas others may be spared unnecessary procedures.

Aditya Juloori, MD, and the rest of the panel echo this sentiment, highlighting the growing role of systemic intensification for unresectable disease and the evolution of platform trials. The segment ends with a unified call for continued collaboration, data integration, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for every patient with NSCLC.