Non-small cell lung cancer--genetic predictors

Background: Non-small cell lung Cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of all lung Cancer that is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Several predictive markers have been found in NSCLC patients to date but only a few are currently used for tailored therapy.

Methods and results: PubMed and Web of Science online databases were used to search review and original articles on the most important predictive markers in NSCLC.

Conclusion: EGFR activating mutations (exons 18 to 21) and EML4-ALK rearrangement are clinically important markers able to select NSCLC patients which benefit from EGFR or ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (gefitinib, erlotinib, crizotinib). Other markers, such as KRAS mutation, EGFR T790M mutation and C-MET amplification, are responsible for resistance to these inhibitors. Overcoming of this resistance as well as discovery of new potential markers and inhibitors is the main goal of ongoing research and clinical trials in NSCLC.