[Consolidation therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer]

Standard management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer includes palliative chemotherapy, but its efficacy is modest. In most cases a few cycles of palliative chemotherapy are administered, as there is no evidence of benefit associated with prolonged treatment. Recently, there is an interest in a new approach including treatment continuation using cytotoxic compounds of proved efficacy in second-line treatment, such as docetaxel and pemetrexed, or targeted agents (erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab and bevacizumab). This review presents the current knowledge on this therapeutic strategy including the results of most relevant phase III studies and their metaanalyses.