RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Update on recent key publications in lung oncology: picking up speed JF European Respiratory Review JO EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW FD European Respiratory Society SP 200300 DO 10.1183/16000617.0300-2020 VO 30 IS 161 A1 Rittmeyer, Achim A1 Schiwitza, Annett A1 Sahovic, Lejla A1 Eul, Bastian A1 Andreas, Stefan YR 2021 UL https://publications.ersnet.org//content/30/161/200300.abstract AB Introduction As incidence rates for lung cancer are still very high and lung cancer remains the most deadly cancer since the turn of the millennium, efforts have been made to find new approaches in cancer research. This systematic review highlights how therapeutic options were extended and how the development of new drugs has picked up speed during the last 20 years.Methods A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library and the European Union Trial Register and 443 records were identified. Our inclusion criteria constituted completed phase I, II and III studies investigating drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Overall, 127 articles were analysed.Results During the 5 year interval from 2015 to 2020, significantly more drugs were approved after phase III, and occasionally after phase II, trials than between 2000 and 2005 (p=0.002). Furthermore, there was a significant time difference (p=0.00001) indicating an increasingly briefer time interval between the publication of phase I and phase III results in the last few years.Discussion Due to novel therapeutic approaches, numerous new drugs in lung oncology were approved. This has improved symptoms and prognoses in patients with advanced lung cancer. However, faster approval could make it difficult to scrutinise new options regarding safety and efficacy with sufficient diligence.In the past two decades, an increasing number of new drugs received EMA approval. The reason for this is an increasingly better understanding of lung cancer, and decreasing mandatory intervals before approval between early and late trials. https://bit.ly/3g1jfpq