Wistuba Ignacio I, Mao Li, Gazdar Adi F
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, P.O. Box 114-D, Chile.
Oncogene. 2002 Oct 21;21(48):7298-306. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1205806.
Our understanding of the molecular pathology of lung cancer is advancing rapidly with several specific genes and chromosomal regions being identified. Lung cancer appears to require many mutations in both dominant and recessive oncogenes to possess malignant phenotypes. Several genetic and epigenetic changes are common to all lung cancer histologic types, while others appear to be cell type specific. However, specific roles of the genes undergoing mutations and the order of cumulative molecular changes that lead to the development of each lung tumor histologic type remain to be fully elucidated. Recent findings of molecular abnormalities in normal appearing and preneoplastic bronchial epithelium from patients with lung cancer and chronic smokers suggest that genetic changes may serve as biomarkers for early diagnosis, risk assessment and monitoring response to chemoprevention.
随着多个特定基因和染色体区域的确定，我们对肺癌分子病理学的认识正在迅速推进。肺癌似乎需要显性和隐性癌基因中的许多突变才能拥有恶性表型。几种基因和表观遗传变化在所有肺癌组织学类型中都很常见，而其他变化似乎是细胞类型特异性的。然而，发生突变的基因的具体作用以及导致每种肺肿瘤组织学类型发展的累积分子变化顺序仍有待充分阐明。肺癌患者和慢性吸烟者正常外观和癌前支气管上皮中分子异常的最新发现表明，基因变化可能作为早期诊断、风险评估和监测化学预防反应的生物标志物。
