title: Targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Cytotoxic chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) offers only modest benefits over best supportive care alone by modestly prolonging survival, reducing symptoms, and improving quality of life. Despite the introduction of a number of new agents over the past decade, we have seen no convincing improvements in efficacy and safety with platinum-based regimens. It appears that a plateau has been reached in the development of traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy and a new paradigm is needed. Novel treatment modalities have emerged from advances in the understanding of tumor cell biology. These sophisticated new agents home in on and neutralize specific targets in the biologic pathway of cancer. This "targeted therapy" represents a new generation of anticancer treatment and a chance to revitalize the moribund state of NSCLC treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam 1081, The Netherlands. g.giaccone@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giaccone
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015195:Drug Design; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D066246:ErbB Receptors