title: Recent developments in the chemotherapeutic options for nonsmall cell lung cancer.
abstract: Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the developed world. It is grossly divided into small cell and nonsmall cell types. Depending on the stage at diagnosis, the principal means of treating nonsmall cell lung cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. However, even when it is diagnosed at an early stage, the progression-free and overall survival rates have been disappointing compared with other cancers. In recent years, there have been a number of developments in the chemotherapeutic options for nonsmall cell lung cancer. The aim of this review is to summarize these developments, in a stage-specific manner, with respect to both standard chemotherapy and also the newer targeted therapies.
authors.affiliation: Sligo General Hospital, The Medical Oncology Department, The Mall, Sligo, Co. Sligo, Ireland.
authors.forename: M Nazir
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Zarina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000639:trends