Imaging on lung cancer and treatment with targeted therapy

Publication date: Available online 6 March 2018
Source:Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI
Author(s): Girish S. Shroff, Marcelo F. Benveniste, Patricia M. de Groot, Brett W. Carter, Carol C. Wu, Chitra Viswanathan, Mylene T. Truong
The identification of genetic mutations known as oncogenic driver mutations that lead to the growth and survival of cancer cells has been an important advance in the field of oncology. Treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has transitioned from a more general approach to a more personalized approach based on genetic mutations of the cancer itself. Common mutations detected in patients with advanced NSCLC include mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Targeted therapies are aimed at the products of these gene mutations and include erlotinib (used in EGFR-mutant NSCLC) and crizotinib (used in ALK-positive NSCLC). In this review, we discuss common genetic mutations in advanced NSCLC, the role of targeted therapies, and imaging findings that can be associated with various genetic mutations.



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