Molecular Target Treatment for Personalized Radiotherapy in Lung Cancer

Radiation is a cornerstone in the management of nonmetastatic lung cancer. Advances in technologies using Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) have been successful to render cure to many unresectable early stage lung cancer patients, but the cure rates for locally advanced lung cancer (both small and nonsmall cell) are still dismally poor with only small incremental improvements over the past decades. Molecularly targeted therapies block specific cancer pathways that certain tumors are more reliant on for survival. Combining these agents as radio-and chemo-sensitizers will be the next level of therapeutic advance that is needed to make an impact in this stage of disease. This chapter summarizes past successes and current challenges and opportunities to help accelerate the development of these agents in combination with radiation therapy for the personalized management of lung cancer.