NSCLC (Issue 1)

Three health organizations have issued a guideline regarding tests for two genetic abnormalities linked to lung adenocarcinoma. Targeted Oncology spoke with Dr. Gregory J. Riely and Dr. Marc Ladanyi about the guidelines.

Bilal Piperdi, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, comments on molecular targeted agents for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Today, the treatment options for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the United States include targeted therapies aimed at angiogenesis (bevacizumab), EGFR mutations (erlotinib and afatinib), and ALK translocations (crizotinib).

Testing for genetic abnormalities is important in NSCLC, both to ensure that as many patients as possible are benefit from approved therapies and to advance understanding of more targets that may be able to lead to future treatments.

WCLC is the largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. This year’s theme was “Next-Generation Lung Cancer Care,” and highlights from some key data presented are provided here.

Mark G. Kris, MD, William and Joy Ruane Chair in Thoracic Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, gives an overview of current guidelines for molecular testing in lung cancer.

Chandra P. Belani, MD, from the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, discusses the treatment of subgroups of patients with lung cancer.

The addition of bevacizumab, erlotinib, afatinib, and crizotinib to the treatment arsenal for NSCLC has been a major advance in the treatment of this disease. However, there is a large imbalance within tumor types.