Significance of Molecular Genotyping for Lung Cancer in Modern Oncology

Abstract

Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent life-threatening diseases and remains the 
leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although surgical resection of the tumor is 
considered as one of the most effective treatments, most lung cancer patients present with 
locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of the diagnosis and are not candidates for 
surgical treatment. For these patients palliative chemotherapy and radiation therapy, alone or 
in combination, become the main treatment of choice. The prognosis for lung cancer in general 
is poor and an overall 5-year survival rate for all stages of lung cancer, regardless of subtypes, 
is about 18%,which has not been significantly improved in the past several decades. For those 
in an advanced stage of the disease the prognosis is even worse. About half of all lung cancer 
patients have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis with a 5-year survival rate of less than 
5%. There is no doubt that the conventional treatment of lung cancer would not significantly 
change the outcome for lung cancer patients.