title: The future in diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Molecular techniques.
abstract: Lung cancers at the same stage of disease have markedly different rates of disease progression. In this review, we will address current molecular techniques which provide new opportunities according to diagnosis, prediction of survival or selection of therapy. New molecular techniques might be helpful in TNM staging and lead to additional individual prognostic information. A revised TNM system could include a TNM component and a molecular supplemental component allowing new markers to be evaluated without undermining the value of classic TNM staging. Furthermore, molecular techniques might be helpful in the early or differential diagnosis of lung cancer. Since many new targeted agents are effective only if their respective molecular markers are mutated or expressed at sufficient levels, DNA-based or RNA-based techniques have the potential to influence treatment selection in the future. Overall, we can expect that molecular markers will contribute to a more personalized lung cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wulf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sienel
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dango
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ehrhardt
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eggeling
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kirschbaum
authors.forename: Bernward
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Passlick
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009367:Neoplasm Staging