The advent of genotype-based therapy and predictive biomarkers for lung cancer has thrust the pathologist into the front lines of precision medicine for this deadly disease.
To provide the clinical background, current status, and future perspectives of molecular targeted therapy for lung cancer patients, including the pivotal participation of the pathologist.
Data were obtained from review of the pertinent peer-reviewed literature.
First-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors have produced clinical response in a limited number of non-small cell lung cancers demonstrated to have activating mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor or anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements with fusion partners. Patients treated with first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors develop acquired resistance to their therapy. Ongoing investigations of second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors and new druggable targets as well as the development of next-generation genotyping and new antibodies for immunohistochemistry promise to significantly expand the pathologist's already crucial role in precision medicine of lung cancer.