Chemotherapy of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Patients with advanced NSCLC receive palliative chemotherapy with platinum-based doublets. Cisplatin-based doublets are preferred in patients with good performance status, whereas carboplatin-based protocols are preferred in patients with impaired organ functions (kidney, heart). Customized chemotherapy appears promising but still remains experimental.

Integrating epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapies into platinum-based chemotherapy regimens for newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer.

Cytotoxic chemotherapy treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has reached a plateau, but further improvements are expected with integration of targeted therapies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-directed therapies are of particular interest because the EGFR is frequently expressed in tumors and associated with poorer outcome. Thus, blockade of the EGFR should improve outcome.

Once-weekly epoetin beta (30,000 IU) in anemic patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Anemia occurs frequently in patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy and has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). Erythropoietic proteins effectively increase hemoglobin (Hb) levels, reduce transfusion requirements and improve QoL in anemic patients with a range of malignancies. This prospective, observational study evaluated epoetin beta 30,000 IU once weekly in patients with lung cancer in a real-life, clinical-practice setting.

Induction chemotherapy with the TIP regimen (paclitaxel/ifosfamide/cisplatin) in stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Induction chemotherapy may improve clinical outcome of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To further pursue this, the Austrian Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (AASLC) performed a multi-center phase II trial with TIP induction chemotherapy (Taxol 175 mg/m2 over 3h on day 1, ifosfamide 1000 mg/m2 daily on days 1-3, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1, and prophylactic filgrastim 5 microg/kg daily on days 4-13). Treatment cycles were repeated every 3 weeks for 3 cycles.

Anemia in lung cancer: clinical impact and management.

Anemia has a high prevalence in patients with lung cancer. Its frequency and severity depend on tumor stage, duration of disease, and previous and current treatment. Anemia affects the health-related quality of life and impacts prognosis and outcome of therapy.