Are more aggressive therapies able to improve treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: combined modality treatment?
Non-small cell lung cancer continues to be a major oncologic problem, with approximately 3-month increase in median survival per decade since the 1970s. Thus, newer strategies are needed to improve outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer. New treatment strategies include optimizing and intensifying radiation therapy (RT) delivery, as well as improving systemic therapy with newly developed targeted agents. Three-dimensional treatment planning is a key technology for optimizing RT delivery. Additionally, improvements in radiation therapy will clearly require better target delineation and dose-intensification of RT. With newer, possibly less toxic agents such as the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, RT and systemic therapy (with chemo- and/or targeted therapies) may be optimized in the concurrent setting, perhaps reserving more cytotoxic regimens either for the induction or maintenance settings.
Mehta
Minesh
M
Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792, USA. mehta@humonc.wisc.edu
Manon
Rafael
R
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents