Biomarkers in Lung Cancer: From Early Detection to Novel Therapeutics and Decision Making

Abstract

Lung cancer remains a significant cause of mortality worldwide. While advances in therapy continue to be made, the overall prognosis for patients diagnosed with lung cancer remains poor. Historically, markers such as age, performance status and disease stage have been used to risk-stratify patients and guide therapeutic decisions. These parameters provide some useful information, but more sensitive markers are clearly needed. Molecular and genetic studies have identified several such markers, which appear to play critical roles in carcinogenesis and affect patient outcomes. This article reviews a number of biomarkers that have been identified in lung cancer, and their prognostic and predictive roles.

Keywords:

• biomarkers
• lung cancer
• predictive markers
• prognostic markers

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Supported in part by NIH/NCI, MARF (Jefferey P Hayes Memorial), Cancer Research Foundation and V-Foundation (R Salgia). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.