Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in non-small-cell lung cancer

Angiogenesis is essential for cancer growth and progression. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a crucial role in angiogenesis. The addition of bevacizumab, an antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), to paclitaxel and carboplatin improves survival compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with previously untreated metastatic nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR TKIs) are a new class of drugs that target the TK domain of the VEGF receptors. To evaluate the role of this class of agents in the treatment of NSCLC, some phase II and phase III studies using these agents alone or in combination with other agents have been completed. This review summarizes the currently available data on VEGFR TKIs in the treatment of NSCLC.