[Chemotherapy for malignant tumors of lung and pleura]

Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with nearly 1.4 million deaths each year. There has been an overall decrease in the incidence of lung cancer in men, although in women this trend has only been noted very recently in the United States and in many countries in Western Europe. In contrast, in many parts of the world the number of cases and deaths related to lung cancer is on the rise. These increased death rates are in close correlation to smoking habits in the different countries. It is also increasingly becoming a disease of the elderly, with a median age at diagnosis of 70 years. In Switzerland about 2'500 men and 1'200 women are yearly diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage in a majority of patients, which explains the high mortality rate associated with this disease. In the current review we give on overview on the current treatment practice for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) as well as on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The main focus is on the novel treatment options for advanced, metastatic NSCLC and the current use of predictive biomarkers in order to personalize therapy. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer occurring mainly in older men who have been exposed to asbestos, although it occurs decades after exposure (20 - 40 years later). The disease is difficult to treat and median overall survival is only about one year.