Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Ultra-Fast Amplicon-Based Next-Generation Sequencing in Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
07:59

Ultra-Fast Amplicon-Based Next-Generation Sequencing in Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Published on: September 8, 2023

Surgery for NSCLC in the era of personalized medicine

Tetsuya Mitsudomi1, Kenichi Suda, Yasushi Yatabe

  • 1Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osaka-Sayama 589-8511, Japan. mitsudom@ surg.med.kindai.ac.jp

Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|February 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Personalized medicine in thoracic oncology has evolved with targeted therapies for EGFR mutations. Surgeons

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Personalized Medicine

Background:

  • The discovery of EGFR gene mutations heralded personalized medicine in thoracic oncology.
  • Targeted therapies offer superior tumor response in non-small-cell lung cancer compared to chemotherapy.
  • Newer oncogenes like ALK, ROS1, and RET have been identified, expanding targeted treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the evolving role of thoracic surgeons in the era of personalized medicine.
  • To discuss the significance of surgical specimens for tumor biology research.
  • To examine the expanded indications for surgery in the context of targeted therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on personalized medicine in thoracic oncology.
  • Analysis of the role of surgical specimens versus biopsy specimens.
  • Discussion of surgical implications in neoadjuvant therapy clinical trials.
  • Exploration of biomarker-driven personalization of surgical procedures.

Main Results:

  • Surgical specimens provide deeper insights into tumor biology than biopsies.
  • Surgery is increasingly indicated for patients undergoing targeted therapy.
  • Surgeons play a crucial role in biomarker-selected neoadjuvant therapy trials.
  • Surgical techniques can be tailored to specific lung cancer subtypes defined by biomarkers.

Conclusions:

  • Thoracic surgeons must adapt their roles in the era of personalized medicine.
  • Surgical specimens are invaluable for understanding tumor heterogeneity and response to therapy.
  • Personalized surgical approaches, guided by biomarkers, represent the future of thoracic oncology.

More Related Videos

Profiling Sensitivity to Targeted Therapies in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Patient-Derived Organoids08:52

Profiling Sensitivity to Targeted Therapies in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Patient-Derived Organoids

Published on: November 22, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Cancer02:18

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.