Abstract
Background: Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality
in the US. The use of precision medicine in the past 10 years has
significantly changed the therapeutic landscape of lung cancer.
Management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has
transitioned from a chemotherapeutic approach to targeted treatments and
immunotherapeutic agents. Several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have
been approved for patients with targeted mutations while patients who do
not have driver mutations; immunotherapy has been recently approved as
frontline therapy, which has resulted in marked improvement in overall
survival and added a new tool in our armamentarium. Aims: The purpose of
this review is to highlight recent advancements in diagnostic approach
and management strategies in patients with metastatic NSCLC. Materials
and methods: Published studies included in Medline (via PubMed) and
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines were reviewed for data
gathering. Conclusion: The use of next generation sequencing has
significantly changed our understanding of molecular oncogenic
mechanisms of lung cancer. These advancements have created a paradigm
shift in the treatment strategies of metastatic lung cancer from
primarily chemotherapeutic approach to increasing use of targeted
therapies and immune check point inhibitors (ICI) leading to better
survival rates and lesser toxicity.