RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Current status and future strategies for multimodality treatment of unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP erj01431-2012
DO 10.1183/09031936.00143112
A1 R.M. Huber
A1 M. Reck
A1 M. Thomas
YR 2013
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2013/02/21/09031936.00143112.abstract
AB Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) encompasses a heterogeneous group of patients, some of whom may be candidates for potentially curative surgery, although for the majority surgery is not an option. Recommended therapy for patients with unresectable stage III disease is concurrent treatment with chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy, although even with this dual modality therapy survival remains disappointing. Novel classes of agents including targeted therapies have been shown to improve survival in advanced stage NSCLC, raising the possibility that these agents may have benefits in multimodal therapy when combined with chemoradiotherapy. Here we consider the rationale for combining new agents with chemoradiotherapy and the evidence from clinical studies assessing multimodal strategies for the management of patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC.