Perspectives in Thoracic Oncology

1.Adjuvant chemotherapy in NSCLC14
1.1.Recent adjuvant chemotherapy trials14
1.2.The LACE pooled analysis15
1.3.Which stages should benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy?15
1.4.The updated individual data-based meta-analysis15
1.5.Selection by age, histology or type of surgery16
1.6.Targeted therapies16
1.7.Prognostic/predictive biomarkers16
1.8.Vaccines17
1.9.References17
2.Customized chemotherapy22
2.1.DNA repair pathways and potential predictive markers of response to platinum-based chemotherapy22
2.2.Current clinical data on customized approach to platinum-based chemotherapy23
2.3.Gemcitabine and pemetrexed as a platinum partner24
2.4.What is the role of antimicrotubule agents in the perspective of customized chemotherapy in NSCLC?26
2.5.References27
3.Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors30
3.1.EGFR TKI as first line therapy30
3.2.EGFR TKI as maintenance therapy31
3.3.EGFR TKI as second/third line therapy32
3.4.EGFR TKI as adjuvant therapy32
3.5.Resistance to EGFR TKI33
3.6.References34
4.Anti-angiogenesis38
4.1.Angiogenesis38
4.2.Anti-VEGF antibodies38
4.3.VEGF trap39
4.4.Tyrosine kinase inhibitors39
4.5.Sorafenib40
4.6.Sunitinib40
4.7.Vandetanib40
4.8.BIBF 112040
4.9.Cediranib40
4.10.Motesanib41
4.11.Axitinib and pazopanib41
4.12.Biomarkers41
4.13.References42
5.New drug targets44
5.1.ALK as a target44
5.2.HGF/MET pathway50
5.3.SRC kinase51
5.4.IGF-1R pathway51
5.5.PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway53
5.6.MAPK pathway54
5.7.Histone deacetylase pathway55
5.8.Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) pathway56
5.9.Sonic hedgehog pathway57
5.10.BCL-2 pathway57
5.11.JAK/STAT pathway58
5.12.LKB1/STK11 pathway58
5.13.Immunotherapy for lung cancer59
5.14.References61
6.Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)68
6.1.Genetics and pathology68
6.2.Clinical presentation68
6.3.Staging and evaluation69
6.4.Management of LS-SCLC69
6.5.Prophylactic cranial irradiation72
6.6.Key ongoing clinical trials in LS-SCLC73
6.7.Management of extensive stage SCLC73
6.8.Relapsed disease74
6.9.SCLC management: Past experience – Targeted therapeutics74
6.10.SCLC management: Future directions74
6.11.References75
7.Thymic malignancies80
7.1.Staging and histologic classification80
7.2.Management of thymic malignancies81
7.3.Ongoing clinical trials of systemic therapy in thymic malignancies83
7.4.References84
8.Malignant pleural mesothelioma – The multimodality approach88
Index93