Introduction
This program will provide the practicing healthcare professional with best practices and approaches to the screening, prevention, and treatment of cancer in disparate populations and will equip the participants with the tools necessary to objectively evaluate and optimize lung cancer care. Determining which approach is most appropriate for a given patient requires understanding of the appropriate role of the various biologic and genetic markers, an evaluation of the patient-specific characteristics, physician expertise in managing drug therapy, and available health system resources. On July 18, 2009, a panel of experts gathered for a conversation to put the latest research into perspective and to share their approach to achieving optimal outcomes for their patients.

Faculty
Julie R. Brahmer, MD, bio | Alberto A. Chiappori, MD, bio | Jonathan Dowell, MD, bio | Tarek M. Mekhail, MD, MSc, FRCSI, FRCSEd, bio

Editor
Christopher G. Azzoli, MD, bio

Media: Monograph
Estimated time to complete activity: 1.5 hours. Release date: September 21, 2009 | Expiration date: September 20, 2010

Statement of Need
Cancer afflicts all people, regardless of age, ethnicity, or gender. The incidence, mortality, and survival rates for many of the leading cancers are disproportionately higher for certain special populations. With the growing body of work in the field of race and ethnicity as it applies to cancer and its treatment, there is a need to disseminate to healthcare professionals the available data as well as ongoing healthcare initiatives relating to disparities among racial and ethnic groups. In addition, with the ever-increasing aging population, cancer care in the older patient has become an increasingly important healthcare system priority. Current estimates indicate that nearly 70% of all cancer deaths occur in persons aged 65 years or older. In addition, great strides have been made in developing treatments that exploit knowledge about the etiology and growth of lung cancer. As many important clinical trials are reaching maturity, an explosion of information is becoming available on the relevance of the biologic and/or genomic characteristics of a specific patient’s disease to tailor therapy for maximum effectiveness. To date, most information has been derived from retrospective analysis of tissue specimens and outcome data from prior clinical trials. Prospective trials to validate the utility of these markers are being initiated, but the provocative nature of some of the retrospective analyses is leading some clinicians to change their treatment paradigm. During the past decade, one of the most widely studied approaches to lung cancer has been that of novel treatment approaches. After a number of single-agent successes in the realm of advanced disease, these novel approaches are moving into combination regimens and earlier stage settings where the potential for enhanced cure rates is being explored.

This interactive program will provide the practicing healthcare professional with best practices and approaches to the screening, prevention, and treatment of cancer in disparate populations and will equip the participants with the tools necessary to objectively evaluate and optimize cancer care in the older patient. Our analysis of the science and evidence-based treatment approaches for the management of lung cancer, specifically the identification of appropriate treatment for the individual patient, concludes a need to educate oncology healthcare professionals exists. Determining which approach is most appropriate for a given patient requires understanding of the appropriate role of the various biologic and genetic markers, an evaluation of the patient-specific characteristics, physician expertise in managing drug therapy, and available health system resources. Healthcare professionals caring for patients with advanced lung cancer need to understand the basis for therapies most commonly encountered as well as the preclinical and clinical data supporting the development and integration of these therapies into clinical practice. Furthermore, the management of side effects related to the use of these novel therapeutics will be important for their clinical usage.

Target Audience
The target audience for the interactive web-based monograph includes medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of lung cancer.
 
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational program, participants should be better able to:

• Describe factors that may contribute to lung cancer incidence and mortality disparities within a racial or ethnic group compared to the overall population
• Identify profiles of selected best practices, such as diagnostic procedures and treatment, within disparate populations
• Cite age-appropriate interventions for managing elderly patients with lung cancer
• Analyze the various clinical and histological factors that help determine eligibility of a patient for a particular type of therapy
• Explain the current state of biomarkers, both prognostic and predictive factors, influencing NSCLC management
• Interpret and report studies on adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for stage I – stage III NSCLC, including a comparison of the conflicting results in stage I disease
• Describe current therapies for the treatment of NSCLC and their applicability in the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting
• Describe studies that utilize agents in the adjuvant setting
• Compare the first-line treatment of metastatic NSCLC and the role of newer agents, maintenance therapy, consolidation therapy, and clinical trials in this population
• Interpret clinical trial results from second-line treatment of metastatic NSCLC

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