Toward personalized treatment approaches for non-small-cell lung cancer

Worldwide, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapies for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have improved outcomes markedly over the past two decades. However, the vast majority of advanced NSCLCs become resistant to current treatments and eventually progress. In this Perspective, we discuss some of the recent breakthrough therapies developed for NSCLC, focusing on immunotherapies and targeted therapies. We highlight our current understanding of mechanisms of resistance and the importance of incorporating genomic analyses into clinical studies to decipher these further. We underscore the future role of neoadjuvant and maintenance combination therapy approaches to potentially cure early disease. A major challenge to successful development of rational combination therapies will be the application of robust predictive biomarkers for clear-cut patient stratification, and we provide our views on clinical research areas that could influence how NSCLC will be managed over the coming decade. This Perspective discusses recent developments in NSCLC immunotherapy and targeted therapy, and highlights the key challenges and future directions for NSCLC management.

Automated summary

Over the past two decades, molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapies have significantly improved outcomes for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the majority of advanced NSCLCs eventually become resistant. The future challenge lies in the application of predictive biomarkers for patient stratification in order to better manage NSCLC.