Lung cancer： Progress, current status, and controversies

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-re- lated deaths, and 85% of lung cancer deaths are a result of non-smaU cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Most patients with NSCLC are diagnosed with advanced inoperable disease making comprehensive systemic chemotherapy as the main treatment method. Angiogenesis is a crucial regu- lator of the growth, invasion, and metastasis of human malignancies, including lung cancer. The combined use of anti-angiogenesis therapy with chemotherapy can significantly improve progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS） in patients with lung cancer. In this column, the author has systematically reviewed angiogenesis in tumorigenesis, the possible rationale for synergy between angiogenesis inhibitors and chemotherapy, and the role of anti-angiogenic agents in combination with chemotherapy in NSCLC. This combination has at times been successful, but at other times has failed. Knowledge of the optimal combination of anti-angiogenesis therapy with chemotherapy is lacking, and molecular markers are needed to predict the efficacy of antiangiogenesis thera- py.