%0 Journal Article
%T Molecular Markers with Predictive and Prognostic Relevance in Lung Cancer
%A Alphy Rose-James
%A Sreelekha TT
%J Lung Cancer International
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/729532
%X Lung cancer accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths worldwide of which non-small-cell lung carcinoma alone takes a toll of around 85%. Platinum-based therapy is the stronghold for lung cancer at present. The discovery of various molecular alterations that underlie lung cancer has contributed to the development of specifically targeted therapies employing specific mutation inhibitors. Targeted chemotherapy based on molecular profiling has shown great promise in lung cancer treatment. Various molecular markers with predictive and prognostic significance in lung cancer have evolved as a result of advanced research. Testing of EGFR and Kras mutations is now a common practice among community oncologists, and more recently, ALK rearrangements have been added to this group. This paper discusses various predictive and prognostic markers that are being investigated and have shown significant relevance which can be exploited for targeted treatment in lung cancer. 1. Introduction Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women worldwide. The upward trend in lung cancer mortality is due to lack of significant markers for early detection and treatment. Lung cancer, the leading cancer killer among men and women worldwide, is considered to be a deadly illness because of low proportion of subjects (¡Ö15%) who are still alive 5 years after the initial diagnosis. This low 5-year survival rate is mainly because most of subjects present with advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Diagnosing lung cancer at localized early stage increases the 5-year survival rate significantly. Advances in molecular biology have eased the systematic efforts to identify molecular markers for lung cancer with valuable predictive and prognostic significance. It is estimated that around 10¨C20 genetic events including alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSG) will have been occurred by the time a lung tumor becomes clinically evident [1]. These alterations if studied and characterized systematically using the present day advanced molecular analytic techniques can be developed as potential predictive and prognostic markers. Moreover, by understanding molecular mechanisms of the disease and potential treatment, molecularly targeted treatment strategies can be adopted. Many attempts have been undertaken by scientists worldwide to identify potential biomarker for lung cancer¡ªthe world no. 1 among cancer killers. 2. Molecular Markers in Lung Cancer A molecular marker for cancer can be defined as a molecular entity (DNA, RNA, or protein)
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/lci/2012/729532/