Cooperative group portfolio in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: are we making progress?
Combined-modality therapy has emerged as the standard of care for fit patients with unresectable, locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Concurrent chemotherapy/radiation has demonstrated therapeutic superiority compared with sequential or asynchronous chemotherapy and radiation in this setting. The role of consolidation or maintenance therapy with targeted agents or conventional cytotoxic agents remains unclear. We explore the portfolio of clinical trials being conducted in locally advanced NSCLC by North American cooperative oncology groups as well as ongoing trials in Europe and Japan. These efforts focus on radiation dose escalation using image-guided radiation therapy as well as newer cytotoxic agents (eg, pemetrexed) and targeted therapies (eg, cetuximab, bevacizumab, and etc) thus far unexplored in this setting.
Langer
Corey J
CJ
Thoracic Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA. cj_langer@fccc.edu
Wakelee
Heather
H
Schiller
Joan
J
Choy
Hak
H
Shepherd
Frances
F
Vokes
Everett E
EE
Adjei
Alex A
AA
Baas
Paul
P
Saijo
Nagahiro
N
Gandara
David R
DR
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011878:Radiotherapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents