Many new options exist for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in addition to traditional platinum-based chemotherapy. Pharmacists should be aware of the new data and recommendations for immunotherapies and targeted therapies, and how they relate to improvements in clinical efficacy and quality of life. It is also important to be aware of the potential for unique and potentially severe adverse events that can occur with these therapies; therefore, pharmacists should educate patients about the possibility of adverse events and the need to report symptoms to their health care teams to avoid severe complications.

For each of the emerging therapies described (bevacizumab, PARP inhibitors, and HIPEC), the treatment settings, patient selection criteria, and other therapies used in conjunction have varied widely across clinical trials. This has led to much discussion and likely confusion regarding the exact clinical contexts in which these new options should be considered.

Many new options exist for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in addition to traditional platinum-based chemotherapy. Pharmacists should be aware of the new data and recommendations for immunotherapies and targeted therapies, and how they relate to improvements in clinical efficacy and quality of life. It is also important to be aware of the potential for unique and potentially severe adverse events that can occur with these therapies; therefore, pharmacists should educate patients about the possibility of adverse events and the need to report symptoms to their health care teams to avoid severe complications.

The new combination immunotherapy + chemotherapy regimens represent a major change in systemic therapy for patients with metastatic NSCLC. Case managers and other health care providers have less experience with these new immunotherapy + chemotherapy regimens or the newer targeted therapies that have different mechanisms of action and side effects than traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens.

Providing care for patients with cancer who smoke poses unique challenges for oncology teams already managing a complex disease, and standardized guidance on effective smoking cessation interventions for patients with cancer is needed. NCCN recommends evidence-based approaches to pharmacotherapy and behavior therapy in order to help primary oncology teams to provide cessation support tailored to their patients’ needs.

Immunotherapy recommendations for patients with thoracic cancers are rapidly changing, and health care providers are challenged to remain aware of the most current recommendations in the NCCN Guidelines® to improve outcomes for their patients.