title: Treatment decision-making for advanced non-small cell lung cancer and differences among European countries: 1st AIOT-ETOP meeting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Italian Association of Thoracic Oncology (AIOT) and the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP) realized the first conjunct educational meeting, open to European oncologists involved in the treatment of thoracic malignancies, entitled "Advanced non-small cell lung cancer: new perspectives in first-line setting".
  
  
  METHODS
  The educational meeting included 8 interactive talks, held by European key opinion leaders, and 5 related clinical cases in which the attendees, divided in working tables based on their country origin, were involved for interactive discussion. The aim of this course was to elucidate the differences or similarities among the European countries in the first-line treatment of patients affected by advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two attendees of the following countries participated: Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Swiss, and UK. As expected, some discrepancies between the groups were identified concerning the approach to the diagnostic phase, the choice of first-line regimen, the duration of treatment and the use of maintenance therapy. These discrepancies were mainly due to familiarity with specific therapies and lack of access to certain therapies due to local regulatory issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The European Medicine Agency grants marketing of drugs in all Europe, regulatory agency of each country can register the drug, but can also deny public reimbursement thus restricting the options of the oncologist. The European Oncology Associations should join to their effort to achieve a uniform access to the cancer therapy for all patients in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, S.G. Moscati Hospital, Contrada Amoretta, Avellino, Italy. cgridelli@libero.it
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stahel
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Besse
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciardiello
authors.forename: Enriqueta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Felip
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Marinis
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000453:epidemiology; D003657:Decision Making; D005060:Europe