Teresa Knoop, MSN, RN

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with only 16% of patients living 5 years or more after they are diagnosed.

In the past decade numerous advances have been made in the arena of cancer treatment. Evolving scientific discoveries related to molecular targets and cellular signaling have led to an increased understanding of how to develop novel therapeutic cancer agents.

The science supporting molecularly targeted therapies for the treatment of patients with solid tumors continues to evolve. Nurses are challenged to understand cell signaling, molecular targeting, and the mechanism of action of targeted agents. Two cell signal transduction pathways regulate the development, proliferation, and metastasis of solid tumors: the human epidermal growth factor (HER) receptor pathway and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor pathway. Several novel pharmacologic agents with distinct indications and methods of administration target the HER and VEGF molecular pathways.