Chinese expert consensus on molecularly targeted therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (2013 edition)

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, ranking the first of all cancers in terms of mortality. More than 80-85% lung cancers are nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and most of them are in advanced stages at the time of diagnosis (1). Although the role of chemotherapy for NSCLC remains virtually unchanged in recent years, the therapeutic efficacy has reached a plateau. Moreover, toxic and adverse reactions have limited its further clinical applications. Instead, targeted therapy has aroused the widest attention and become one of the most promising therapeutic strategies owing to the reliable therapeutic effect, low toxicity and mild adverse reactions (2). The expert panels from the Respiratory Disease Branch Lung Cancer Study Group of the Chinese Medical Association and the Chinese Alliance Against Lung Cancer have discussed issues related to molecularly targeted treatments for advanced NSCLC and reached consensus on molecularly targeted treatments for advanced NSCLC (2013 edition) in the contest of the national conditions in Mainland China.