Meeting Summary

The second SOTS meeting on lung cancer focused on the integration of new agents into the multi-modality treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Discussions stressed the continuing importance of optimizing conventional therapies while developing novel, molecularly-targeted agents for use in combination with those modalities. A "chemopreventative" role for these agents was emphasized. Panelists identified diagnostic and therapeutic tools necessary to speed agent development; discussed ways of improving radiotherapy outcomes via modification of signal transduction and tumor microenvironment; reviewed the efficacy of anti-FGF antibodies in combating chemoresistance; and stressed the importance of phase II analysis of anti-angiogenic toxicity. Also explored was the development of tumor-specific imaging agents for noninvasive tumor profiling for diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic purposes. Study design discussion topics included the need for surrogate markers, given the dearth of serial lung biopsy samples; the continuing importance of phase II trials; and the need for correlative studies.