Selective Mediastinal Lymph Node Sampling Versus Systematic medIastinal Lymph Node Dissection After Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (SCIENCE Study)
China358 participantsStarted 2026-05-20
Plain-language summary
The SCIENCE trial is a multicenter, open-label, randomized, parallel, noninferiority investigator-initiated trial (IIT). This study aims to evaluate the prognostic differences between selective mediastinal lymph node sampling and systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection in patients with node-negative stage IIA to IIIB (N2) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing anatomical lobectomy following neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years – 75 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. Voluntary participation with a signed written informed consent form.
. Aged ≥ 18 and \< 75 years, of either gender.
. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
. Anticipated life expectancy of ≥ 12 months.
. Histologically or pathologically confirmed peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with clinical tumor, node, metastasis(TNM) stage IIA-IIIB, which according to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer(IASLC) 9th edition, and no known epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements.
. Absence of satellite nodules involving different lung lobes.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
. Completion of neoadjuvant therapy prior to enrollment, consisting of a PD-1 inhibitor combined with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy.
Exclusion criteria
. Anticipated inability to tolerate an anatomical lobectomy;
. Anticipated requirement for sleeve resection, pneumonectomy, or pulmonary autotransplantation to remove the affected lobe;
. Prior thoracic radiotherapy before the initiation of surgical treatment;
. History of allogeneic tissue or solid organ transplantation;
. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease within 3 months prior to surgery, or currently receiving long-term systemic corticosteroid therapy (at a dose \>10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy;
. History of or current non-infectious interstitial lung disease requiring corticosteroid therapy;
. Presence of viral infectious diseases during the screening period:
. Seropositivity for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);