Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading worldwide cause of cancer death and the majority of patients present with metastatic stage IV disease. Palliative systemic therapy is the main choice in metastatic stage.
Different treatment strategies exist according to squamous or non-squamous histology or molecularly defined markers in non-small-cell lung cancer. Molecular testing for at least epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ALK should be performed in all patients before therapy.
Targeted therapy in sensitive mutations with TKI (gfitinib, erlotinib or afatinib) or crizotinib and ceritinib, respectively, can achieve response rate above 60 % and significantly prolong survival. Platinum doublet chemotherapy may be considered for all other patients.
Bevacizumab can be considered for addition to the doublet in patients with nonsquamous cancers who have no contraindications. For patients initially treated with a platinum doublet, maintenance chemotherapy with pemetrexed, erlotinib, gemcitabine, or possibly docetaxel is an option with selection based on clinical features, histology, type of initial therapy, and response to first-line therapy.
Treatment with docetaxel, pemetrexed or erlotinib can prolong survival in second line therapy. New antiangiogenic drugs nintedanib and ramucirumab were registred for second line treatment together with docetaxel in last year.
Immunotherapy use (antiMUC-1, antiPDL-1) in clinical practice is approaching. inhibitors of angiogenesis.