Non-small-cell lung cancer: molecular targeted therapy and personalized medicine - drug resistance, mechanisms, and strategies

• Published in: Pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine Vol. 6; no. default; pp. 25 - 36
• Main Authors: Winn, Robert, Sechler, Cizmic, Avasarala, Van Scoyk, Brzezinski, Bikkavilli, Kelley
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2013; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Press; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Care and treatment; Drug resistance; Drug targeting; drug targets; Lung cancer; Lung cancer, Non-small cell; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methods; NSCLC; personalized medicine; Precision medicine; Review; lung cancer; drug targets; NSCLC; personalized medicine
• ISSN: 1178-7066; 1178-7066
• DOI: 10.2147/PGPM.S26058

Targeted therapies for cancer bring the hope of specific treatment, providing high efficacy and in some cases lower toxicity than conventional treatment. Although targeted therapeutics have helped immensely in the treatment of several cancers, like chronic myelogenous leukemia, colon cancer, and breast cancer, the benefit of these agents in the treatment of lung cancer remains limited, in part due to the development of drug resistance. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of drug resistance and the current strategies used to treat lung cancer. A better understanding of these drug-resistance mechanisms could potentially benefit from the development of a more robust personalized medicine approach for the treatment of lung cancer.