A supplement to Thoracic Surgery News.
This supplement was supported by an educational grant from Lilly and Genentech BioOncology™ and sponsored by CBCE. This supplement is based on a satellite symposium held in San Diego, California, in May 2008.
To view the supplement, click the image above. To take the CME test, print out the PDF file and follow the test instructions on the last page. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Cancer of the lung and bronchus is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for both men and women. Survival rates are low, even in early-stage disease, with 5-year survival rates of 70% and 50% for stage I and stage II disease, respectively. Even after resection, most patients will experience a recurrence at a distant site, and 30% to 60% of resected patients will die of their disease. Thus, adjuvant therapy has been investigated as a means to eradicate micrometastases and increase survival. Trials have shown that platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy confers a 4% to 15% survival advantage in patients with stage II to IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In an effort to improve efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy, two strategies are currently being explored. Predictive biomarkers and molecular models are being developed that may aid in stratifying patients according to how responsive their tumors may be to specific chemotherapeutic agents. Retrospective studies have shown that using molecular markers, such as RRM1 and ERCC1, or genomic approaches, such as the lung metagene model, is feasible and potentially beneficial. In addition, with the success of targeted agents in prolonging survival in advanced or metastatic NSCLC, these agents are now being investigated for benefit in adjuvant therapy. Trials are ongoing to determine whether targeted adjuvant therapy may provide additional benefit to patients with early-stage NSCLC. At the end of this program, participants will be able to describe how tumor molecular characteristics may impact patient outcome or therapeutic response, discuss recent clinical data investigating the use of tumor biomarkers in directing therapy, and explain important considerations affecting how targeted agents might be used in the adjuvant setting.
This activity is intended for surgical oncologists, physician assistants, and other health care professionals interested in the adjuvant treatment of patients with cancer.
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
This journal supplement is based on highlights from Optimizing Adjuvant Chemotherapy in NSCLC, a satellite symposium, which utilized multiple methods of participation to engage attendees and enhance the learning process.
The CBCE™ (The Center for Biomedical Continuing Education) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This CME activity was planned and produced in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the ACCME.
The CBCE designates this educational supplement for a maximum of .75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Inc.
