Clinical lung cancer
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Clinical lung cancer · Mar 2009
ReviewEmerging data with antiangiogenic therapies in early and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy have a 5-year survival rate of 25% to 70% depending on stage, whereas those with advanced disease have a median survival of approximately 8 months when treated with standard platinum-based therapy. Improvements in our understanding of cancer biology have led to the development of novel agents that more precisely affect the target of interest, allowing for a more rational approach to clinical trial design. ⋯ Studies with bevacizumab in the adjuvant and advanced setting are ongoing in patients with NSCLC. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting the VEGF receptor and the tyrosine kinase receptor have also shown promise when combined with standard chemotherapy, but their role in the treatment of patients with NSCLC remains to be determined. This article reviews clinical trials that have incorporated antiangiogenic agents in the treatment of patients with NSCLC.
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Clinical lung cancer · Mar 2009
Comparative Study Clinical TrialSurgical resection and long-term survival for octogenarians who undergo surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer.
An increasing proportion of newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are octogenarians. It has been questioned whether older patients benefit from surgical resection of lung cancer to the same extent as younger patients. ⋯ Non-small-cell lung cancer patients < 80 years of age were less likely to undergo potentially curative surgery, but survival for octogenarians who did undergo surgical resection was comparable to younger age groups. Such patients should not be denied potentially curative surgery simply because of age.