Inhalation adjuvant therapy for lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer is the leading cause of new cancer cases and also is the number one cause of cancer death in both male and females in the United States and the world. Lung cancer is histologically separated into either small-cell (SCLC) or nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is much more common, and can occur in the periphery (adenocarcinomas) or central airways (squamous cell carcinomas).


METHODS
The literature pertaining to lung cancer adjuvant therapy and inhalation lung cancer chemoprevention was reviewed.


RESULTS
It is argued that inhalation of chemotherapy as an adjuvant in Stage II NSCC and inhalation of chemopreventive agents in Stage I adenocarcinomas are direct paths to improve lung cancer therapy as well as demonstrate the utility of inhalation therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
If successful, inhalation delivery may be extended to the treatment of other types of lung cancer.
Yi
Dandan
D
University of Minnesota, Department of Pharmaceutics, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Wiedmann
Timothy Scott
TS
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018890:Chemoprevention; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012138:Respiratory Therapy