European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society
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Review
Customising chemotherapy in advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer: daily practice and perspectives.
Treating patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a daunting task but during recent years new options have emerged. By tailoring treatment using either information on histological subtypes of NSCLC or biomarkers it is now possible to improve outcome and maintain stable quality of life. We conducted a literature search of tailored treatment already implemented in advanced NSCLC in order to highlight the information required to decide on the optimal oncological treatment for individual patients. 16 studies were identified by literature review. ⋯ Retrospective, unplanned analysis of excision repair cross complementation group 1 (ERCC1) and betatubulin III upregulation demonstrated poorer outcome in NSCLC patients treated with platinum-doublets and vinorelbine-based chemotherapy, respectively. In conclusion, tailoring treatment according to either histological subtype or EGFR mutation status in advanced NSCLC should today be part of daily practice based on current evidence. Future biomarkers need optimisation of methodology and prospective validation before clinical implementation.