Impact Study: MK-0646 (Dalotuzumab), Insulin Growth Factor 1 Receptor Antibody Combined with Pemetrexed and Cisplatin in Stage IV Metastatic Non-squamous Lung Cancer.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) regulates cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. Adenocarcinoma and never-smokers have a higher expression of IGF-1R, which is associated with worse overall survival. Dalotuzumab-MK0646 (D) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets IGF-1R.

Potential role of platelet-derived growth factor receptor inhibition using imatinib in combination with docetaxel in the treatment of recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) is expressed in lung cancer and is involved in angiogenesis. Preclinical models demonstrated that imatinib (Im) regulates angiogenesis through PDGFR inhibition and enhances efficacy of chemotherapy.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that Im plus docetaxel (D) would have a synergistic effect detectable by an increase in response rate in patients with recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).