title: Chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-small cell lung cancer can no longer be regarded as resistant to chemotherapy, and there have recently been considerable improvements in the use of the older agents and advances in the identification of new drugs. Recent meta-analysis has also confirmed the view that chemotherapy can have small but modest survival benefits. Although in the treatment of stage IV disease the criteria of efficacy have concentrated on tumour response rates, more recently it has become obvious that these patients can also benefit in terms of improved symptom control.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  For patients with locally advanced stage III disease there have been important developments indicating the benefit of combined modality treatment with chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation. Furthermore, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy indicates that resection is possible in about half the patients, and on pathological examination of 15%-20% of the resected specimens there is no evidence of residual tumour. These results justify an increase in the use of systemic chemotherapy in this disease.
authors.affiliation: CRC Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, U.K.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thatcher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ranson
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niven
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents