A decade of advances in treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

The last decade has heralded a paradigm shift in the evaluation and treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). No longer are patients with NSCLC considered a homogeneous population treated in the same way; rather, clinical characteristics, histology, and an expanding array of molecular markers are increasingly being used to individualize therapy. Both histology and tumor epidermal growth factor receptor mutational status currently have firmly established roles in determining initial and salvage therapy for advanced NSCLC. Several other biomarkers are the focus of ongoing prospective randomized clinical trials customizing both traditional chemotherapy and newer molecularly targeted agents.