Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42366402›Full record

ArticleJournal of cardiothoracic surgery2026

From metabolic to pathologic complete response: case report of Neoadjuvant Lorlatinib in Stage IIIB ALK-positive NSCLC combined with uniportal VATS.

Ruifeng Li, Chudong Wang, Yuxuan Li, Jianyao Zhao, Xinlu Wang, Man Zhang, Shuben Li

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cardiothoracic surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ruifeng Li *State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, PR China.
Chudong Wang *State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, PR China.
Yuxuan LiDepartment of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Jianyao ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, PR China.
Xinlu WangDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Man ZhangState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, PR China.
Shuben LiState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, PR China. 13500030280@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

While stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is generally considered unresectable, a subset of patients may benefit from neoadjuvant therapy following comprehensive evaluation. We report a 35-year-old non-smoking female diagnosed with stage IIIB (cT1bN2bM0) adenocarcinoma of the left lower lobe with multiple-station mediastinal lymph node metastasis. Based on multidisciplinary evaluation of multimodality imaging and ALK-positive status, the patient with high tumor burden yet no significant comorbidities received neoadjuvant lorlatinib. The patient achieved a complete metabolic response (CMR) on restaging PET-CT after 10 weeks of lorlatinib, which led to a multidisciplinary decision to undergo uniportal VATS lobectomy. Pathological examination confirmed a pathological complete response (pCR). After an uneventful 5-day hospitalization without complications, the patient remains disease-free at the 12-month follow-up. This is the first report of neoadjuvant lorlatinib followed by uniportal VATS achieving pCR predicted by CMR in stage IIIB ALK-positive NSCLC, given the limitations of short-term follow-up and a single-case design.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLactams, MacrocyclicLung NeoplasmsThoracic Surgery, Video-AssistedAdultAminopyridinesAnaplastic Lymphoma KinaseFemaleHumansLactamsNeoadjuvant TherapyNeoplasm StagingPathologic Complete ResponsePyrazolesALK protein, humanAminopyridinesAnaplastic Lymphoma KinaseLactamsLactams, MacrocycliclorlatinibPyrazolesCase reportLorlatinibNeoadjuvant targeted therapyNon-small cell lung cancerPathological complete response

Identifiers

PMID42366402
PMCPMC13573392

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.