← Back to dossier
Patient handout

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for non-small cell lung cancer (nsclc). Your care team identified this based on: incidental or screening-detected lung nodule (nccn 2024 nsclc).

Other reasons your team may use this plan: persistent cough >3 weeks, hemoptysis, weight loss (nccn 2024 nsclc); biopsy-confirmed nsclc (nccn 2024 nsclc); age 50-80, >=20 pack-year smoking history for ldct screening (uspstf 2021).

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
lobectomyAnatomic resection preferred for stage I-II; mediastinal lymph node sampling required (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)
SBRTStereotactic body RT for medically inoperable stage I (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)
cisplatin75 mg/m2IVq3w x 4 cyclesAdjuvant cisplatin-based doublet for stage II (LACE meta-analysis, Pignon JCO 2008)
vinorelbine25 mg/m2IVdays 1,8 q3w x 4Preferred cisplatin partner in adjuvant setting (LACE meta-analysis)
osimertinib80 mgPOonce daily x 3 yearsADAURA — adjuvant osimertinib DFS benefit in EGFR-mutant resected NSCLC (Wu NEJM 2020)
atezolizumab1200 mgIVq3w x 16 cyclesIMpower010 — adjuvant atezolizumab after adjuvant chemo for PD-L1 >=1% (Felip Lancet 2021)

Plan: Early-stage (I-II) — surgery +/- adjuvant

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • Superior vena cava syndrome — facial/upper extremity oedema, dyspnoea, JVD from mediastinal mass compression (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)(life-threatening)
  • Symptomatic brain metastases — headache, focal deficits, seizure, midline shift (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)
  • Hemoptysis >200 mL/24h or haemodynamic instability from pulmonary haemorrhage (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)(life-threatening)
  • Grade >=2 immune-related pneumonitis on checkpoint inhibitor (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)

5. Follow-up

Survivorship care plan, smoking cessation, palliative care integration, advance care planning, clinical trial eligibility assessment at progression (NCCN 2024 NSCLC)

6. Sources

Guideline: NCCN 2024 NSCLC v5 + ASCO 2023 Molecular Testing Guideline

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29151359
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27718847
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29658856