Intratumoral Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer

The diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer (LC) is always a challenge. The difficulty in the decision of therapeutic schedule and diagnosis is directly related to intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) in the progression of LC. It has been proven that most tumors emerge and evolve under the pressure of their living microenvironment, which involves genetic, immunological, metabolic, and therapeutic components. While most research on ITH revealed multiple mechanisms and characteristic, a systemic exposition of ITH in LC is still hard to find. In this review, we describe how ITH in LC develops from the perspective of space and time. We discuss elaborate details and affection of every aspect of ITH in LC and the relationship between them. Based on ITH in LC, we describe a more accurate multidisciplinary therapeutic strategy on LC and provide the newest opinion on the potential approach of LC therapy.

Automated summary

The diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer is challenging due to intratumoral heterogeneity. While previous research has revealed various mechanisms and characteristics of intratumoral heterogeneity in lung cancer, a comprehensive discussion on the topic is still lacking. This review provides an overview of how intratumoral heterogeneity develops over space and time in lung cancer. It discusses the intricate details and impacts of each aspect of intratumoral heterogeneity and explores their relationships. Based on these findings, a more accurate multidisciplinary therapeutic strategy and potential approach for lung cancer therapy are proposed.