title: Apoptosis block as a barrier to effective therapy in non small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Lung cancer, is the most common cause of cancer death in men and second only to breast cancer in women. Currently, the first line therapy of choice is platinum-based combination chemotherapy. A therapeutic plateau has been reached with the prognosis for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remaining poor. New biomarkers of prognosis as well as new therapies focusing on molecular targets are emerging helping to identify patients who are likely to benefit from therapy. Despite this, drug resistance remains the major cause for treatment failure. In this article we review the role of apoptosis in mediating drug resistance in NSCLC. Better understanding of this fundamental biological process may provide a rationale for overcoming the current therapeutic plateau.
authors.affiliation: Ian Paul, J Mark Jones, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast BT12 6BA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Ian Paul, J Mark Jones, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast BT12 6BA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jones
keywords: Adjuvant therapy; Apoptosis; BAK; BAX; BCL2; Lung cancer; Mitochondria