Genomic Characterization of Lung Cancer and Its Impact on the Use and Timing of PET in Therapeutic Response Assessment

Abstract

Significant advances in understanding the genomic landscape of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) together with the coupling discovery of key oncogenic drivers and the development of effective targeted and immunotherapeutic agents have revolutionized the management of this malignancy. Although these therapies have resulted in improved outcomes for a subgroup of patients, their benefit may not necessarily be reflected by conventional response assessment criteria, because these therapeutic agents differ in their mechanism of action and response time compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Here the authors review available therapies in NSCLC and the utility of PET in therapeutic response assessme..