Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify the feasibility of segmentectomy for clinical stage IA3 (cIA3) vs cIA1-2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data of consecutive patients with segmentectomy for cIA NSCLC across three centres between January 2017 and December 2022. The stabilized inverse probability of treatment-weighting (IPTW) was employed to minimize potential confounding in baseline characteristics. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) differences were examined using Kaplan-Meier estimator with the log-rank test. The Cox regression model was applied to assess the average treatment effect (ATE) between two groups in RFS. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of a total of 589 patients who underwent segmentectomy, 478 presented with cIA1-2 NSCLC while 111 presented with cIA3 NSCLC. In comparison with cIA1-2 cases, the cIA3 cohort were significantly older with poorer lung function and more comorbidity. The cIA3 NSCLC presented significantly invasive characteristics, with extensive tissues dissected. After median follow-up of 24.0 (interquartile range 12.5-40.1) months, we did not observe significant difference in RFS (3-year 73.4% vs 78.5%, P = 0.490; ATE: 1.17) between the cIA3 vs cIA1-2 groups. These findings were corroborated following the stabilized IPTW. Preoperative characteristics in the cIA3 subgroup were not related to RFS. In the sensitivity analysis, no difference in RFS was found between the two groups stratified by peripheral and central localization. CONCLUSIONS: In well-selected patients with cIA3 NSCLC, segmentectomy leads to no statistical difference in oncologic outcomes compared to those observed in earlier stages in a relatively short follow-up period.