Pazopanib and Paclitaxel for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer worldwide with approximately 1.2 million new cases each year. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for greater than 80% of all lung carcinomas in Western countries. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for patients with early stage disease (Stage I and II), but at least 50% of these patients will relapse locally and/or develop distant metastases. Furthermore, 70% of patients with NSCLC are non-resectable at the time of their diagnosis due to either locally advanced or metastatic disease. The long-term prognosis for patients with NSCLC remains poor with the overall 5-year survival rate less than 15%. The low survival rate may be attributed to the high incidence of unresectable disease at presentation and the inability of systemic therapy to cure metastatic disease. There is a clear need for improvement in the treatment of NSCLC.