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The biology and management of non-small cell lung cancer

Nature volume 553, pages 446–454 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Important advancements in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been achieved over the past two decades, increasing our understanding of the disease biology and mechanisms of tumour progression, and advancing early detection and multimodal care. The use of small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy has led to unprecedented survival benefits in selected patients. However, the overall cure and survival rates for NSCLC remain low, particularly in metastatic disease. Therefore, continued research into new drugs and combination therapies is required to expand the clinical benefit to a broader patient population and to improve outcomes in NSCLC.

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Figure 1: Timeline illustrating the development of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for the treatment of NSCLC over two decades.
Figure 2: Current and investigative treatment options for advanced or metastatic NSCLC.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank L. Chen and A. M. Incassati for editorial assistance. R. Herbst is supported by the Yale SPORE in Lung Cancer (P50CA196530).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Roy S. Herbst & Chris Boshoff

  2. Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA

    Daniel Morgensztern

  3. Pfizer, Inc, New York City, New York, USA

    Chris Boshoff

Authors
  1. Roy S. Herbst
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  2. Daniel Morgensztern
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  3. Chris Boshoff
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All authors contributed to the writing of this Review.

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Correspondence to Roy S. Herbst or Chris Boshoff.

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Competing interests

R.S.H. is a compensated advisor for Astra Zeneca, Lilly, Genentech/Roche, Pfizer and Merck (MSD). D.M. is a compensated advisor for Celgene, BMS and AbbVie. C.B. is an employee of Pfizer.

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Herbst, R., Morgensztern, D. & Boshoff, C. The biology and management of non-small cell lung cancer. Nature 553, 446–454 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25183

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