Patients’ eligibility
NSCLC, tumor, Tumors, mediastinal adenopathy, Cancer
TUMOR, DISEASE, TUMORS, NSCLC, ONCOLOGY, CANCER
Eligible adults had cytologically or histologically confirmed stage IIA–IIIB NSCLC (according to 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria), with a 0 or 1 score of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, previously had not underwent any systemic therapy, and were suitable for definitive resection. Patients were required to have measurable disease based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, as well as pre-treatment tumor tissues for assessing PD-L1 expression. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan was mandatory for each patient inclusion. Pathological evaluations of mediastinal lymph nodes at levels 4 (bilaterally) and 7 by thoracotomy, mediastinoscopy, or endobronchial ultrasound was required for clinical staging of patients with mediastinal adenopathy on PET/CT. Patients with sensitizing 