Review: Systemic Treatment for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
A January 2008 supplement to The Oncologist is devoted to articles reviewing the state of medicine in the treatment of advanced non-small lung cancer, all freely accessible online.
From the conclusion, by Paul A. Bunn, Jr (University of Colorado Cancer Center), and Nick Thatcher (Christie Hospital NHS Trust):
"A major theme that arises from this supplement is that while chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) prolongs survival and quality of life, the majority of advanced stage patients succumb to disease within 2 years, leaving room for improvement. The main chemotherapy doublets for untreated patients are comparable in terms of efficacy, distinct only in terms of somewhat differing safety profiles. The use of triplet chemotherapy does not result in further increased survival, but instead, increased toxicity. However, encouraging new options do seem to be on the horizon, including the targeting of therapies to specific patient subpopulations, and the use of combinations of current and new drugs to produce additive or synergistic effects."
Specific agents discussed include chemotherapy drugs carboplatin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, docetaxel, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, pemetrexed, oxaliplatin, and vinflunine; and targeted therapies erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab, sorafenib, bevacizumab, and enzastaurin.
Contents
- Bunn PA Jr, Thatcher N. Systemic treatment for advanced (stage IIIb/IV) non-small cell lung cancer: more treatment options; more things to consider. Introduction. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 1:1-4. PMID: 18263768
- Ramalingam S, Belani C. Systemic chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: recent advances and future directions. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 1:5-13. Review. PMID: 18263769
- de Marinis F, Grossi F. Clinical evidence for second- and third-line treatment options in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 1:14-20. Review. PMID: 18263770
- Sekine I, Sumi M, Saijo N. Local control of regional and metastatic lesions and indication for systemic chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 1:21-7. Review. PMID: 18263771
- Stinchcombe TE, Socinski MA. Considerations for second-line therapy of non-small cell lung cancer. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 1:28-36. Review. PMID: 18263772
- Bunn PA Jr, Thatcher N. Systemic treatment for advanced (stage IIIb/IV) non-small cell lung cancer: more treatment options; more things to consider. Conclusion. Oncologist. 2008;13 Suppl 1:37-46. Review. PMID: 18263773
The online articles don’t identify a sponsor, just that manuscript preparation of the introduction and conclusion were supported by Remedica Medical Education and Publishing, London, UK.
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oncology cancer lung cancer
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