Molecular basis of lung carcinogenesis

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the largest cause of cancer deaths in the Western world. Smoking is the major carcinogen for lung cancer but only approximately 15 % of smokers develop lung cancer, suggesting individual differences in susceptibility to tobacco smoke carcinogens. Once invasive, survival from lung cancer is poor which necessitates the prompt development of new therapeutic strategies in addition to effective methods for early detection, chemoprevention, and smoking cessation. Modern diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are becoming more realistic with the greater understanding of the molecular basis of lung cancer including the role of genomics and epigenomics in its pathogenesis. One such example of the benefits that result from expanded knowledge includes the advent of new targeted therapies, which are becoming increasingly used in clinical practice.