title: Maintenance therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: current status, controversies, and emerging consensus.
abstract: Maintenance therapy refers to the use of an active therapeutic agent for extended duration following frontline induction therapy for patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Multiple clinical trials reported within the last few months have shown a beneficial role for maintenance therapy especially in select patient groups characterized by histology and/or molecular profile. With the recent approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency of pemetrexed for maintenance therapy, a new treatment paradigm has been introduced to the treatment of NSCLC. This article reviews recent data with maintenance therapy in advanced NSCLC and discusses the implications for routine patient care and future drug development.
authors.affiliation: Emory University Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Taofeek K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Owonikoko
authors.forename: Suresh S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ramalingam
authors.forename: Chandra P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Belani
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018450:Disease Progression; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005971:Glutamates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005971:Glutamates; D011799:Quinazolines; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D006147:Guanine; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride