Angiogenesis and lung cancer: implications for prognosis and treatment.

摘要

Lung cancer, the number one cause of cancer-related death in the world, has been the subject of intense research in recent years to better understand its biology. Of special interest have been tumour metastasis and angiogenesis, where multiple processes control the spread of tumour cells to distant organs. Advances in this discipline are beginning to translate into substantial improvements in patient care, and bevacizumab, an angiogenesis inhibitor, has recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the management of patients with advanced and metastatic lung cancer. However, reliable markers that can be used to predict prognosis and monitor treatment for this disease are still scarce.