Summary

Four to six cycles of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy remains the standard treatment protocol for most patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Longer treatment does not appear to increase overall or progression-free survival and may lead to toxicity issues and reduced quality of life. This article discusses the current state of knowledge concerning treatment for NSCLC patients without a targetable (driver) mutation, the impact of oncogenic drivers on treatment of NSCLC, as well as the use of maintenance therapy for patients with cancer as a way to delay disease progression and improve survival.