Advances in Rethinking Risk After Resection in Early-Stage NSCLC

Activity Overview

Surgical resection offers the best chance of cure for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet many patients eventually have recurrence. Anatomic staging and clinicopathologic features alone cannot reliably identify which patients will benefit from adjuvant therapy. Newer molecular tools, including gene expression profiling and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)–based minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, are refining postoperative risk assessment. Clinicians now have to fit these approaches into a fast-changing perioperative treatment landscape without clear guideline direction, which means they must interpret new evidence and apply it to individual patients.

This online, on-demand activity pairs video discussions with expert faculty, including a community oncologist, with concise text across a series of self-paced modules. Faculty examine the limits of current staging frameworks, the biologic rationale and evidence for gene expression–based risk stratification, and the prognostic strengths and practical limits of ctDNA-based MRD testing. The activity concludes with a practical framework for selecting patients for molecular testing, interpreting results to guide adjuvant chemotherapy decisions, and integrating these tools into current perioperative and biomarker-driven treatment strategies.

Target Audience

This educational activity is directed toward community and academic-based medical oncologists, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals interested in the treatment of NSCLC.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, you should be better prepared to:

• Evaluate the limitations of anatomic staging and clinicopathologic risk factors in predicting recurrence and guiding adjuvant treatment decisions in patients with resected stage I–IIA NSCLC
• Assess the biologic rationale, clinical evidence, and emerging role of gene expression profiling assays in postoperative risk stratification and prediction of chemotherapy benefit in early-stage nonsquamous NSCLC
• Compare the clinical applications, strengths, and limitations of ctDNA-based MRD testing and gene expression profiling for recurrence risk assessment and surveillance in NSCLC.
• Apply molecular risk stratification strategies to personalize postsurgical treatment planning and shared decision-making for patients with early-stage NSCLC

The staff of Physicians’ Education Resource^®, LLC have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

PER^® mitigated all conflicts of interest for faculty, staff, and planners prior to the start of this activity by using a multistep process.

Off-Label Disclosure and Disclaimer

This accredited continuing education activity was planned in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence to ensure balance, objectivity, independence, and scientific rigor. Faculty were instructed to use generic names when possible and to base recommendations on the best available evidence. Proprietary product names may be referenced in clinical discussion for educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

This activity may include discussion of investigational, unapproved, or off‑label uses of drugs or devices. Learners are advised to consult prescribing information for products discussed. Content is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a health care professional. Learners are encouraged to critically evaluate the information presented and apply their own clinical judgment.

The views expressed are those of the individual faculty members and do not necessarily reflect the views of the accredited provider or any entity providing commercial support.

This activity may have used AI-assisted tools to support educational development. All content was reviewed and approved by qualified faculty or planners. The accredited provider retains full responsibility for accuracy, balance, and independence.