title: Salvage therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer continue to have a poor prognosis; most die from the disease within 1 year. Chemotherapy is beneficial for some patients in the first-line metastatic setting. Three agents, namely docetaxel, pemetrexed, and erlotinib, are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as treatment in the second-line setting. In this article, we examine the data supporting the use of these agents in the second-line setting and review data from other completed trials. Lastly, we propose strategies to advance the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. pabedano@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Pablo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bedano
authors.forename: Nasser H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Hanna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D011799:Quinazolines; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride