Chemotherapie bij gemetastaseerd niet-kleincellig longcarcinoom

- Only a select group of patients with metastased non-small cell lung cancer are eligible for treatment with chemotherapy. The standard treatment for patients with a good performance score, and possibly also for those with physical limitations as a consequence of the disease, is chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with a third-generation cytotoxic agent together with maximum supportive care.

- The optimal duration of this chemotherapy treatment is at least 3 to 4 cures, less in the case of disease progression.

- For older patients (> 70 years) with a good performance score, chemotherapy with maximum supportive care is the standard treatment. However, which form of chemotherapy should be given is not yet clear.

- Symptomatic improvement is important for improving the quality of life.

- For patients with tumour relapse or disease progression after first-line chemotherapy who still have a good performance score, the standard treatment is once again chemotherapy with maximum supportive care, as this improves the chance of survival and quality of life, and is possibly cost effective.