Sorafenib  in non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Conventional chemotherapy has reached a plateau of effectiveness for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with EGFR mutation or ALK translocations will benefit significantly from agents targeting these pathways, however, only 20% of western NSCLC patients have these mutations. Anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab was approved for advanced NSCLC, but the clinical benefits are modest and all patients eventually develop resistance. Multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) may offer more efficient inhibition of angiogenesis by blocking overlapping pathways and they may also have direct anti-tumor effects.  Sorafenib  is approved in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma and is now under investigation in the treatment of NSCLC.


METHODS
This review summarizes recent studies evaluating sorafenib in the treatment of NSCLC.


CONCLUSIONS
Sorafenib has shown anti-tumor activity in NSCLC. However, because NSCLC is complex and molecularly heterogeneous, it is very likely that only a subset of NSCLC patients will benefit from sorafenib, and so it is imperative to discover biomarkers to select patients who will probably benefit from sorafenib. Combination with other agents targeting parallel and compensatory pathways, such as EGFR inhibitors, may offer broader coverage and better disease control.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Hematology and Oncology, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Jianjun
J
Zhang
Kathryn A
KA
Gold
Edward
E
Kim
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001557:Benzenesulfonates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D057285:Precision Medicine; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077157:Sorafenib
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001557:Benzenesulfonates; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; D009536:Niacinamide; D000077157:Sorafenib