In the setting of ALK-positive NSCLC, the first-generation ALK inhibitor crizotinib is currently being replaced as the first-line standard by next-generation agents. The open-label, randomised, multicentre, phase III ALTA-1L trial investigated the ALK/ROS1 inhibitor brigatinib in untreated patients.
Traditionally, the standard-of-care treatment for patients with unresectable, stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) used to be platinum-based chemoradiotherapy.
The demands in lung cancer care are changing as we proceed in our efforts to improve outcomes. Besides investigating the optimal succession of agents to prolong survival in the best possible way, we need to learn to manage toxicity, and strategies must be found to limit treatment costs to a range that can be afforded by healthcare systems in the long run.
