Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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Squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) of the lung is the second-largest subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), causing an estimated 400,000 deaths per year worldwide. Recent developments in cancer genome sequencing technology expanded our knowledge of driver mutations, which were identified as novel candidates for targeted therapy in various cancers. Successful targeted treatments for lung adenocarcinoma, NSCLC's primary subtype, with EGFR mutation or ALK fusion are clinically available, and a clinical trial of personalized targeted therapy in patients with lung adenocarcinoma is underway by the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium. ⋯ The march toward personalized therapy may have taken a step forward with the discovery of these potential biomarkers for the treatment of SQCC of the lung. This article reviewed the current knowledge of genomic landscape of lung SQCC and summarized ongoing clinical trials of targeted agents for lung SQCC. Also, we will suggest several other actionable mutations with matching drugs that should be investigated in future clinical trials for the personalized treatment of lung SQCC.
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Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) can be abundantly present in numerous cancer types. Under influence of various stimuli in the tumor microenvironment TAMs develop into a tumor-inhibitory (M1) or tumor-promoting (M2) phenotype. ⋯ In this review we will discuss the importance of TAMs in the pathogenesis and clinical outcome of lung cancer and mesothelioma patients. In addition, the potential of TAMs as therapeutic targets will be discussed.
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Some patients with advanced NSCLC show prolonged disease stabilization on treatment with an EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) such as erlotinib. It is not clear how to treat patients who progress after prolonged response to erlotinib. We hypothesized that TKI therapy beyond progression with added chemotherapy, radiotherapy or best supportive care may improve survival. ⋯ In our case-control analysis in long-term erlotinib responders, treatment with TKI beyond progression in addition to chemotherapy or radiotherapy was feasible and lead to prolonged overall survival.