Figure 1. Lung cancer.
According to guidelines from the European Society for Medical Oncology, the evolving therapeutic management of NSCLC emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach in lung cancer. Data have shown that high-volume centers and multidisciplinary teams manage patients with lung cancer more efficiently than low-volume or nonmultidisciplinary centers by providing more complete staging, better adherence to guidelines, and increased survival.
In any stage of NSCLC, smoking cessation should be strongly encouraged. Smoking may interact with systemic therapy, which can negatively affect outcomes.
Lung cancers were once considered poorly immunogenic, with minimal benefit seen in historical studies of cytokine and vaccines. However, the recent development of immune checkpoint inhibitors has provided evidence that immunotherapy can play an important role in the treatment of patients with lung cancers.
A patient's activity level, as measured by a performance status scale (eg, Zubrod or Karnofsky) is an important prognostic factor. All patients should be encouraged to remain active both during and after NSCLC treatment. A diminishing activity level usually indicates progressive or recurrent disease, but it may also be the result of adverse effects of treatment.
Learn more about the management of patients with NSCLC.
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Daniel S. Schwartz. Fast Five Quiz: Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Management - Medscape - Feb 03, 2021.
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