title: Cooperative group research efforts in thoracic malignancies 2009: a review from the 10th Annual International Lung Cancer Congress.
abstract: Critical advances in the treatment of patients with lung cancer have occurred in the past few years. The cooperative groups in North America and internationally have played crucial roles in these advances. The leaders of the groups meet on a regular basis to review the progress of their trials. However, they rarely have a chance to discuss all ongoing and planned trials, except at the annual Lung Cancer Congress held each June. This article captures this exchange from the 10th Annual Lung Cancer Congress held in June 2009. Exciting efforts are ongoing for all stages of non-small-cell lung cancer, small-cell lung cancer, and mesothelioma. A major focus of the groups at this time is a push toward more personalized medicine, as reflected in the selection criteria for many of the trials, along with planned correlates to better define populations most likely to benefit. Agents targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, including many tyrosine kinase inhibitors against the VEGF receptor, and those targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, are under extensive development with many combination trials ongoing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University Cancer Center, Stanford, CA 94305-5826, USA. hwakelee@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakelee
authors.forename: Bill W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Loo
authors.forename: Kemp H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kernstine
authors.forename: Joe Bill
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Putnam
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Edelman
authors.forename: Everett E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Vokes
authors.forename: Joan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: Nagahiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adjei
authors.forename: Glenwood
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.forename: Hak
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gandara
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000628:therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000628:therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000639:trends; D012107:Research Design; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents