EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY UPDATE Update on nonsmall cell lung cancer

D espite recent advances and declining its incidence in males in Western countries, lung cancer remains the main cause of cancer deaths worldwide, mainly because of tobacco smoking epidemics in developing countries and the still moderate efficacy of therapeutic strategies [1–3]. More than 80% of lung cancers are nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which can be further sub-divided into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma (LCC). Metastatic stage IV NSCLC remains an incurable disease with a median survival that reached a plateau of 8– 10 months at the beginning of the century with available cisplatinum-based regimens [4].