The role of high-dose chemotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

The literature on high-close chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation does not - as of yet - provide evidence of relevant benefits. At the same time, the significant risks of treatment-related morbidity and mortality associated with dose-intensified chemotherapy in this vulnerable patient population are increasingly recognized. Whether the advent of new cytotoxic agents such as the Taxans or newer Topoisomerase inhibitors will help to improve the hitherto unsatisfying results of high-dose chemotherapy in NSCLC, remains to be determined. The few ongoing studies in the area strive to examine such newer drug-combinations in a multimodality treatment concept combining neo-adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation with surgery and adjuvant thoracic radiation therapy. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.