Targeted therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

The incorporation of targeted agents has considerably improved the management of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over the last years. The main targets include the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Currently available agents with established role in NSCLC include the anti-EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) erlotinib/gefitinib and the anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab. Moreover, several other agents targeting critical pathways in lung carcinogenesis are currently under preclinical or clinical evaluation. This review presents an update on the role of targeted agents in advanced NSCLC. In addition, we present the main clinical studies investigating the activity of these agents in NSCLC and we provide recent data with respect to future therapeutic strategies.