REVIEW ARTICLE Chemotherapy In Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review

Treatment of advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been a challenge for oncologists in the past two decades. Meta-analysis conducted decade determined that cisplatin based chemotherapy prolonged survival in advanced NSCLC. Since then various combinations of cytotoxic agents like gemcitabine, docetaxel, paclitaxel and vinorelbine with either cisplatin or carboplatin have made undeniable gains in survival rates among the patients with advanced NSCLC and this has been confirmed by various randomized studies between 1991 and 2001. This article gives a critical appraisal of published data related to chemotherapeutic approaches for advanced NSCLC including a recent meta-analysis which aims to quantify the treatment effect of gemcitabine plus platinum agents in advanced NSCLC using randomized clinical trials. The evidence suggests an improvement in progression free survival for gemcitabine-platinum compared to other agents. Some encouraging data about various targeted therapies (Eroltinib and Gefitinib) in advanced NSCLC has also bee