BACKGROUNDHow to improve the postoperative 5-year survival rate for lung cancer and to give more patients a chance of surgery have become research hot spots. The aim of this research is to evaluate the clinical and pathohistological responses and effects of preoperative bronchial artery infusion (BAI) chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced (stage III) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSA total of 92 patients with locally advanced NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups. BAI group received BAI chemotherapy for 2 cycles before surgical resection. Surgery group received operation only. The complete resection rate and clinical response were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSIn the BAI group, the clinical response rate and the pathohistological response rate were 68.3% and 51.3% respectively. The complete resection rate in the BAI group was 89.7%, which was significantly higher than that in the surgery group (72.5%) (P < 0.05). The 1- and 2-year survival rate was 100.0% and 80.6% in the BAI group, and 94.1% and 60.0% in the surgery group.

CONCLUSIONSBAI neoadjuvant chemotherapy is safe and effective, which has a good clinical and pathohistological response. It might increase the complete resection rate of the tumor and improve the long-term survival rate of stage III NSCLC patients.