The second annual symposium on the future of lung cancer: A translational focus

Lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of death in the US, and in its most advanced stages remains incurable. Cytotoxic chemotherapies have been the standard of care for the treatment of unresectable disease. However, recent advances in the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have led the way to a new generation of targeted biological agents. During the second annual symposium entitled 'the future of lung cancer: a translational focus', which was sponsored by the Physician's Education Resource, new strategies for the treatment of lung cancer were discussed. Besides the role of EGFR inhibitors, potential targets include the angiogenesis pathway; other growth factor pathways, such as phosphoinositol-3 kinase/Akt and Raf-MEK; the 26S proteasome, the histone deacetylase mechanism; and the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing factor receptors. Agents that are directed against these targets are all in varying stages of clinical development. As more is learned about their mechanisms of action and clinical spectrum of activity, the author anticipates their incorporation into novel regimens with enhanced activity against lung cancer.