Adjuvant chemotherapy and targeted therapy in elderly non-small-cell lung cancer patients

Adjuvant chemotherapy and targeted therapies comprise two salient practice-changing improvements in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Despite the fact that these improvements have been largely data-driven, the following questions arise: what is the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer? What is the role of targeted agents, such as erlotinib and bevacizumab, in older non-small-cell lung cancer patients? These questions are relevant because the current median age of lung cancer patients at diagnosis in the USA is 69 years, and the number of older patients developing this malignancy is increasing. This review provides guidance on how best to approach the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and targeted therapies in older patients with this disease.