Current treatment options for non-small-cell lung cancer

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a difficult-to-treat malignancy, and durable long-term survival is elusive for patients with advanced-stage disease. Chemotherapy, especially with platinum-based combinations, is the mainstay of treatment, yet these regimens yield only modest response and survival rates. Outcomes of recent clinical trials have shown that histology, mutation analyses, and biomarkers have an impact on the selection and combination of chemotherapeutic agents. Oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies are now part of the treatment schema. Other changes to the treatment paradigm include the duration of treatment and the use of maintenance therapy. Additionally, chemotherapy is now employed in earlier-stage disease in neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and combined-modality treatments. The aim of this article is to review the current systemic treatments for NSCLC.