News in the treatment of lung cancer

Currently there is an increase in new treatment advances in lung cancer. This article deals with some of them which already have an impact on clinical practice or are expected to have it in the near future. In the early disease an important step forward seems to be anew molecular assay developed and validated for prediction of survival in resected non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the locally advanced NSCLC and SCLC (small-cell lung cancer) new data suggest possibilities to optimize commonly used chemo-radiotherapy treatment. In advanced, metastatic NSCLC there are new drugs either already registered by regulatory authorities or waiting for the registration, e. g. crizotinib, cetuximab. The results of the current phase III trials suggest new possibilities in using some of the standard medications, e. g. pemetrexed, bevacizumab, and also new drugs which probably will apply for registration by regulatory authorities in the nearest future, e.g. afatinib. (author)