%0 Journal Article
%T A review of clinical trials of cetuximab combined with radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer
%A Carsten Nieder
%A Adam Pawinski
%A Astrid Dalhaug
%A Nicolaus Andratschke
%J Radiation Oncology
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1748-717x-7-3
%X Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is among the leading causes of cancer death in the western world and increasing in many other countries. Survival of patients with locoregionally advanced disease (stage III) and metastatic disease has remained disappointing despite some gradual improvement [1,2]. Patients with stage III disease differ with regard to primary tumour volume and proximity/infiltration to surrounding structures, extent of lymphatic spread, cancer biology, and host factors such as age, cardiopulmonary function and other comorbidity [3]. Treatment recommendations have to take into account these differences and stratify patients according to technical resectability, ability to tolerate high-dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and many more.Many patients with inoperable stage III disease are candidates for combined modality chemo- and radiotherapy (RT). While concomitant administration might improve survival, parallel increases of toxicity have also been observed [1,4]. The dilemma of simultaneous increases in efficacy and toxicity becomes even more difficult in elderly patients and those with considerable pretreatment weight loss, reduced performance status and comorbidity. Incorporation of novel agents might be advantageous in several ways. It might allow for administration of combined modality treatment in patients who are not candidates for established chemoradiation regimens and where RT alone results in unsatisfactory outcomes. Moreover, certain agents might be added on top of chemoradiation with the aim of further improving treatment results in patients who can tolerate aggressive approaches.The theoretical solution of simply increasing radiation doses to high biologically effective doses (BED), ideally above the threshold of 100 Gy in 2-Gy fractions, which has been suggested by several groups [5-8], is hampered by the tolerance of surrounding normal tissues that must be respected if a favourable therapeutic ratio is to be maintained. Under such cir
%K non-small cell lung cancer
%K radiotherapy
%K cetuximab
%K chemoradiation
%U http://www.ro-journal.com/content/7/1/3