Molecular and Genetic Aspects of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a serious health problem. It is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. There are over one million deaths worldwide due to lung cancer. Molecular-cytogenetic studies could give reliable information about genetic alterations which could be related to lung cancer pathogenesis. Such alterations could serve as the basis for better prognosis and treatment strategies. Lung carcinogenesis is known to be a multistage process involving alterations in multiple genes and diverse pathways. These genes include proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes (TSG), and DNA repair genes. We present a review of the genetic aspect of these alterations. Knowledge of the genetic aspects will aid the understanding of the essence of lung carcinogenesis in the search for appropriate markers for early diagnosis and adequate treatment.