Epidermal growth factor receptor and K-Ras in non-small cell lung cancer-molecular pathways involved and targeted therapies.

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Ramon Andrade de Mello (Author) Other; Dânia Sofia Marques (Author) Other; Rui Medeiros (Author) Other; António Araújo (Author) Other

Journal

Title: World Journal of Clinical Oncology

Vol. 2 No. 11

Pages: 367-376

ISSN: 2218-4333

Publisher: Baishideng Publishing Group

Indexing

Pubmed / Medline

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Other medical sciences

Other information

Abstract (EN): Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer death in Western nations. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80% of all lung cancers, and adenocarcinoma is the predominant histological type. Despite the intensive research carried out on this field and therapeutic advances, the overall prognosis of these patients remains unsatisfactory, with a 5-year overall survival rate of less than 15%. Nowadays, pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics represent the key to successful treatment. Recent studies suggest the existence of two distinct molecular pathways in the carcinogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma: one associated with smoking and activation of the K-Ras oncogene and the other not associated with smoking and activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The K-ras mutation is mainly responsible for primary resistance to new molecules which inhibit tyrosine kinase EGFR (erlotinib and gefitinib) and most of the EGFR mutations are responsible for increased tumor sensitivity to these drugs. This article aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the molecular pathways involving the EGFR, K-Ras and EGFR targeted therapies in NSCLC tumor behavior.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific