Future Treatment Strategies for NSCLC

Anne S. Tsao, MD, notes that lung cancer is not simply one disease, and more individuals should enroll into clinical trials so that more can be learned regarding how to best treat patients. Tsao adds that it is critical to know whether an individual has adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or neuroendocrine disease.

A number of novel therapies are in development to overcome resistance to established standards of care. While these newer-generation drugs represent a positive first-step, investigators must continually search for more novel approaches in the future, comments Roy S. Herbst, MD.

As new therapies are developed, there is a continued need for better biomarkers. To help discover better predictive markers, Heather A. Wakelee, MD, hopes that future clinical practice incorporate more serum analyses in place of repeating biopsies to assess disease activity. Liquid biopsies are a promising avenue for further development and early detection of disease resistance, adds Thomas E. Stinchcombe, MD.