Advanced Progress in Targeted Drugs Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

In modern society, cancer is the most therapeutic disease. Among all types of cancer, the highest mortality rate is lung cancer and 85% of lung cancer patients is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, significant therapeutic advancesparticularly in targeted therapy and immunotherapyhave revolutionized its treatment landscape. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in these two approaches of targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Regarding targeted therapy, particular emphasis is placed on three key targets: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK), and ROS Proto-Oncogene 1(ROS1). EGFR mutations promote tumorigenesis by activating downstream signaling pathways. Up to the current era, the sequential development of three tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) generations has enabled progressively refined targeting of EGFR-mutated tumorigenesis. ALK gene rearrangement serves as a pivotal oncogenic driver in NSCLC. It activates downstream signaling pathways to promote cancer initiation and progression, with corresponding inhibitors now advancing to the third generation. Due to its high homology with ALK, the ROS1 gene has shown significant responsiveness to some ALK inhibitors. Regarding immunotherapy, the analysis covers three approaches: cancer vaccines, cellular immunotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. For immunotherapy, we analyze three strategies. Cancer vaccines, which prime tumor-specific immune responses by antigen presentation; Cellular immunotherapies (e.g., Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells (CAR-T), T-Cell Receptor Engineering (TCR-T), and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) therapies), engineered to enhance antitumor immunity. And immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., PD-1/PD-L1 blockers), which reinvigorate T-cell function by disrupting immunosuppressive signals. Despite their clinical success, challenges like drug resistance and toxicity persist. Future research should prioritize novel targets, innovative technologies, and combination strategies to further transform NSCLC treatment.