Dr Roy Herbst, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US
ASCO 2009: Experimental Targeted Therapy Vandetanib Improves Progression-Free Survival in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
The results of an international trial have shown that adding the experimental targeted therapy vandetanib (Zactima)
to docetaxel improves progression-free survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
whose disease has progressed after first-line treatment. This is the first phase III study to show that adding a
targeted therapy to second-line chemotherapy with docetaxel results in a clinical benefit for patients with advanced
NSCLC. It is also the first phase III trial of vandetanib for NSCLC, which is being evaluated for certain types of
thyroid cancer as well.