Dissecting the genetic alterations involved in lung carcinogenesis

During the past two decades, considerable efforts have been devoted to the identification of the genes that drive lung cancer development. In spite of such intense research, only a few genes harboring mutations have been found, thus hindering the improvement in lung cancer treatment. The present review describes the catalog of known genetic alterations and the recent advances in global expression profiles in lung tumors and briefly discusses their use in clinical management. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.