Inhaled Cisplatin for NSCLC: Facts and Results

Abstract

Although we have new diagnostic tools for non-small cell lung cancer, diagnosis is still made in advanced stages of the disease. However, novel treatments are being introduced in the market and new ones are being developed. Targeted therapies and immunotherapy have brought about a bloom in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Still we have to find ways to administer drugs in a more efficient and safe method. In the current review, we will focus on the administration of inhaled cisplatin based on published data.

Keywords: NSCLC; cisplatin; inhalation; lung cancer; nebulizers.

Figure 1

Parameters affecting the optimal drug administration. The dry powder inhalers and meter dose inhalers need specific use with simultaneous coordination of inhalation and device activation for efficient drug deposition. Nebulizers do not need specific device use; they only require deep inhalations and a slow respiratory rate. Drug deposition is affected by local genes in the respiratory tract but also from the tumor genes. Drug properties are also responsible for the local and systematic absorption of an inhaled drug.

Figure 2

Schematic of parameters affecting the optimal administration and where in the airways. The correct use of an inhaler along with the correct inhalation force is essential for the best drug deposition. A central obstruction blocks the deposition of the aerosol drug in a lung or lobe, while a peripheral obstruction blocks a lobe or only a small segment of the lobe. The bronchial circulation in the alveoli is responsible for the systematic absorption of the inhaled drug.