Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all new diagnoses 
of lung cancer. Unfortunately, few NSCLC patients are suitable for radical 
treatment for curative intent. Because most patients with NSCLC have advanced 
disease at diagnosis, chemotherapy represents the standard of care, although, to 
date, a plateau has been reached with this approach. Improvements in the 
knowledge of tumor biology and mechanisms of oncogenesis have identified the 
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a member of the ErbB family, as a 
molecular target for NSCLC treatment. EGFR is commonly overexpressed in NSCLC 
and has been associated with impaired prognosis; therefore, its inhibition may 
lead, through the suppression of tumor proliferation, to improvement in clinical 
outcomes. Strategies to block EGFR include tyrosine kinase inhibitors, 
monoclonal antibodies, ligand-linked toxins, and antisense approaches. This 
article focuses on the treatment of NSCLC with the anti-EGFR monoclonal 
antibodies, including cetuximab, for which the largest amount of data in the 
literature exists. Recently, a phase III randomized trial performed in advanced 
NSCLC patients yielded a statistically significant survival advantage for 
patients treated with cetuximab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. 
Other anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, such as panitumumab, matuzumab, 
nimotuzumab, and ch806, are in different stages of development for the treatment 
of advanced NSCLC.