New Lung Cancer Treatment Approach Raises Hopes and Debate

A number of clinical trials have tried and failed to improve survival in patients who have advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by extending the duration of their initial treatment. The premise behind the approach, often called maintenance therapy, is simple: In patients whose tumors regress following their initial treatment, give the cancer another kick while it's down, rather than waiting for it to regain steam before delivering further therapy.