Docetaxel in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Systemic chemotherapy provides improvement in both survival and quality of life for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Docetaxel is the only agent currently approved for both first- and second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Multiple randomized clinical trials have established the efficacy of platinum–docetaxel regimens for the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. Carboplatin-based regimens and nonplatinum combinations with docetaxel also have proven efficacy in first-line therapy. Combinations of docetaxel with various novel targeted agents have produced encouraging data in Phase II trials. This review article summarizes recent studies of docetaxel as a single agent and in combination regimens with cytotoxic or targeted therapies in the management of patients with advanced NSCLC.