[Lung cancer]

Abstract

Since the late 1980s, lung cancer incidence in men has declined in Germany whereas in women there is still a rise. There is no approved screening program for lung cancer up to now and results from randomized trials like the National Lung Screening Trial are eagerly awaited. In stage II and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), several positive trials have demonstrated the advantage of adjuvant chemotherapy which is now an established modality to improve cure rates. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is commonly overexpressed in NSCLC. Erlotinib, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been approved for relapsed advanced-stage NSCLC. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, a primary mediator of angiogenesis that is commonly overexpressed in solid tumors including lung cancer. Bevacizumab, in combination with chemotherapy, has demonstrated improved outcomes in advanced NSCLC and is now approved for selected patients with advanced-stage NSCLC. Patient selection for therapeutic use of bevacizumab is crucial to optimize safety. Ongoing trials explore multitargeted agents such as sorafenib, sunitinib, and vandetanib.