Trial Finds Surgery Possible for Most Patients After Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy Combination

Results from the MDT-BRIDGE trial were shared at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2026 congress. The trial tested a treatment approach called neoadjuvant therapy — meaning treatment given before surgery to shrink a tumour — combining the immunotherapy drug durvalumab with standard chemotherapy in patients whose lung cancer was considered resectable, or removable by surgery.

After completing that pre-surgery treatment, patients underwent what the trial described as a multidisciplinary reassessment — a review by a team of specialists including surgeons, oncologists, and other clinicians — to decide whether to proceed with an operation. The trial reported that surgery went ahead in the majority of patients, with what researchers described as encouraging response rates.

The findings were posted by the journal *Nature Medicine* on social media ahead of or alongside the conference presentation.

Non-small-cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for around 80 to 85 per cent of all cases according to the NHS. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy combinations have been an active area of research as clinicians look for ways to improve surgical outcomes in patients whose cancer has not yet spread beyond the chest.

The MDT-BRIDGE trial is a phase 2 study, meaning it is designed to test whether a treatment shows enough promise to justify a larger trial rather than to establish it as a standard treatment. Wider adoption would require results from larger phase 3 trials.

Anyone concerned about lung cancer symptoms — including a persistent cough, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, or breathlessness — should contact their GP or call NHS 111.