This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bunn, P. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bunn, P. A., Jr

Chemotherapy for Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Who, What, When, Why?

From the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Denver, CO.

Address reprint requests to Paul A. Bunn, Jr, MD, University of Colorado Cancer Center, 4200 E. 9th Ave, Box B 188, Denver, CO 80262; email: paul.bunn{at}uchsc.edu

ABSTRACT: Despite the poor survival of patients with advanced (stage IIIB with pleural effusion or stage IV) non–small-cell lung cancer, the introduction of new chemotherapeutic agents has improved survival and quality of life with reduced toxicity compared with older cisplatin-based therapies. Randomized trials support the use of two-drug combinations for patients of all ages with performance status of 0 to 1. These two-drug combinations should contain at least one new agent. Some of these two-drug combinations may be acceptable in selected patients with a performance status of 2. Newer, targeted therapies hold promise to improve outcome without adding a great deal of additional toxicity.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. A. Bunn Jr Platinums in Lung Cancer: Sufficient or Necessary? J. Clin. Oncol., May 1, 2005; 23(13): 2882 - 2883. [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Hotta, K. Matsuo, H. Ueoka, K. Kiura, M. Tabata, and M. Tanimoto Addition of platinum compounds to a new agent in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a literature based meta-analysis of randomised trials Ann. Onc., December 1, 2004; 15(12): 1782 - 1789. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Argiris and J. H. Schiller Can Current Treatments for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Be Improved? JAMA, July 28, 2004; 292(4): 499 - 500. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Socinski Cytotoxic Chemotherapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review of Standard Treatment Paradigms Clin. Cancer Res., June 15, 2004; 10(12): 4210S - 4214S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]