Anti-angiogenic drugs for second-line treatment of NSCLC patients: just new pawns on the chessboard?

Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2016;16(1):1-5. doi: 10.1517/14712598.2015.1075000. Epub 2015 Aug 3.

Abstract

Tumor angiogenesis is one of the main pathways targeted to treat cancer. Bevacizumab added survival benefit when combined with platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC. Recently, Phase III trials showed survival benefit when anti-angiogenic drugs are added to docetaxel as second-line treatment for NSCLC. These anti-angiogenic agents include nintedanib and ramucirumab, a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor and a monoclonal antibody, respectively, which target receptors involved in angiogenesis. These studies have some similarities and differences. We propose a new algorithm for treatment sequences in performance status 0-1 patients with non-oncogene-addicted NSCLC type adenocarcinoma. Indeed clearer scientific evidences are available for this subgroup of patients.

Keywords: NSCLC; angiogenesis; docetaxel; nintedanib; ramucirumab.

Publication types

  • Editorial

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / blood supply
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / methods
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / trends
  • Docetaxel
  • Humans
  • Indoles / therapeutic use
  • Lung Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / drug therapy
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Ramucirumab
  • Taxoids / therapeutic use
  • Therapies, Investigational / standards
  • Therapies, Investigational / trends*

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Indoles
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel
  • nintedanib