NSCLC as the Paradigm of Precision Medicine at Its Finest: The Rise of New Druggable Molecular Targets for Advanced Disease

Standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) historically consisted of systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy until the early 2000s, when precision medicine led to a revolutionary change in the therapeutic scenario. The identification of oncogenic driver mutations in EGFR, ALK and ROS1 rearrangements identified a subset of patients who largely benefit from targeted agents. However, since the proportion of patients with druggable alterations represents a minority, the discovery of new potential driver mutations is still an urgent clinical need. We provide a comprehensive review of the emerging molecular targets in NSCLC and their applications in the advanced setting.

Automated summary

Standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) traditionally involved systemic chemotherapy, but precision medicine has led to a revolutionary change in the therapeutic landscape. The discovery of oncogenic driver mutations in genes like EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 has identified a subset of patients who benefit greatly from targeted therapies. However, there is still an urgent clinical need to find new potential driver mutations.