Overview of Genetic and Molecular Events in the Pathogenesis of Lung Cancer

¹ The National Cancer Institute-Navy Medical Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute and National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

The studies of p53 and K-ras have provided important clinical insights into the biology of lung cancer. Although over one half of all patients with lung cancer have mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in their tumor specimen, there has been no association identified between the presence of a p53 mutation and survival. In contrast, a ras family oncogene is mutated in approximately 20 percent of tumors and tumor cell lines from patients with NSCLC and the presence of a K-ras mutation is an adverse prognostic factor for survival in two different retrospective studies of patients with NSCLC, Prospective studies of these and other genes in tumors from resected specimens taken from patients with accurate follow-up may continue to provide important clues about the potential clinical and biologic significance of these genetic abnormalities.