Novel systemic therapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

• Main Authors: Cristina Tiut, Christoph C Zielinski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: Hamdan Medical Journal
• Online Access: http://www.hamdanjournal.org/article.asp?issn=2227-2437;year=2016;volume=9;issue=1;spage=39;epage=56;aulast=Tiut;type=0

Standard chemotherapy regimes (platinum-based combinations) for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer have reached their therapeutic limits. In the last few years standard chemotherapy has been supplemented by targeted therapy. Targeted therapy consists of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive tumours or ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase)-rearranged tumours as well as antiangiogenic TKIs and monoclonal antibodies directed against vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 or EGFR. Although targeted therapy has made remarkable progress, there is great hope for the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which specifically enhance the immune response directed against the tumour.