Editorial on “Long-term survival outcome after postoperative recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer: who is ‘cured’ from postoperative recurrence?”

There is little knowledge or comprehensive research on the outcome of long-term surviving patients after postoperative recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and initially curative surgery for the primary lung cancer. Although in many cancer entities 5-year survival after treatment of primary cancer may result in a cure, in lung cancer patients the risk of late recurrence and second primary lung cancer remains high.