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The annual World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), organized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, is the largest global meeting dedicated to lung cancer research. WCLC 2025 showcased several important studies that focused on treating resectable (surgically removable) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Several studies showed that giving patients immunotherapy (treatments that leverage the body’s natural immune system to fight cancer) around the time of surgery can have a profound impact on patient outcomes. With so many treatment options emerging, additional studies will be needed to help patients and care partners choose the best option for their circumstances.
Immunotherapy For Resectable NSCLC is Here to Stay
Studies with pembrolizumab – a PD-1 blocking immunotherapy: The four-year survival data from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-671 study confirmed a long-lasting benefit of adding immunotherapy before and after surgery when treating resectable NSCLC. This trial added pembrolizumab to chemotherapy before surgery, and then continued pembrolizumab treatment after surgery.
Those enrolled in the study were divided based on whether their cancer had spread to the local lymph nodes or not. The results showed that regardless of spread to lymph, patients had better responses to pembrolizumab compared to chemotherapy followed by surgery. This study continues to support the addition of perioperative (before and after surgery) pembrolizumab to resectable NSCLC.
Studies with nivolumab – a PD-1 blocking immunotherapy: Another phase 3 study, CheckMate 816, looked at the benefit of treating patients with neoadjuvant (before surgery) nivolumab, an immunotherapy, plus chemotherapy, compared to chemotherapy alone followed by surgery. The final five-year follow-up data confirmed previous findings that neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy improved outcomes for people with resectable NSCLC.
The NADIM ADJUVANT phase 2 trial focused on patients who had already undergone complete surgical resection. Traditionally, people in this situation receive chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. This study tested whether adding nivolumab to chemotherapy after surgery could further improve outcomes.
After three years, the relapse rate in patients receiving nivolumab plus chemotherapy was 26.7%, compared to 40.1% in the chemotherapy-only group. Although the trial is continuing and results are still considered interim, these data suggest that adjuvant chemo-immunotherapy could help reduce relapse in those who have had surgery.
Understanding Quality of Life with Perioperative Immunotherapy
Looking beyond patient survival rates and tumor response, WCLC 2025 also featured data on patients’ reported quality of life from the CHECKMATE 77T study. Analyses of patients receiving perioperative nivolumab with chemotherapy showed that symptoms and day-to-day functioning remained stable compared to patients receiving chemotherapy alone. In some cases, patients reported slower deterioration in symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.
This matters because perioperative treatment adds more months of therapy around surgery, which can raise concerns about side effects and quality of life. These results help reassure both people with lung cancer and physicians that perioperative treatment can be delivered while maintaining the patient’s well-being.
What These Findings Mean
Taken together, the studies presented at WCLC 2025 rally optimism for treating people with resectable NSCLC with immunotherapy. With these advances, however, come important questions about the best way to personalize and optimize these treatments.
As researchers continue to refine these approaches and explore new combinations, we can expect more effective and tolerable treatments that reduce the risk of recurrence and improve survival for people with early-stage lung cancer.
Make sure to read all of our 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer coverage: