Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD

Cancer Network spoke with Taofeek Kunle Owonikoko, MD, PhD, of Emory University, about talazoparib for patients with HRRD-positive stage IV squamous cell lung cancer.

The review by Dr. Chiappori and colleagues in this issue of ONCOLOGY addresses an important challenge relating to the optimal management of elderly patients with lung cancer. The authors provide an excellent overview of the data in patients with various stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They also highlight the limitations of the existing data in the management of elderly NSCLC patients.

The treatment of early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has undergone a paradigm shift recently with the addition of systemic therapy to local therapy. The use of cisplatin-based chemotherapy following surgery is now a standard approach for patients with stage II–IIIA disease.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 15% of all lung cancers diagnosed in the United States. It is characterized by initial sensitivity to chemotherapy, but a rapid progression to refractory disease and death in a majority of patients.