Apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer: implications for chemosensitivity and prognosis

ABSTRACT

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly occuring malignancies in the world. In ccontrast to other type of cancer, the death rates from lung cancer decrease has been observed in its death rates in the United States and Canada, but not in developing countries, where, in contrast, it continue to rise. These differences among countries are attribued to smoking habits that are decreasing in developed countries, as result of anti-smoking programs launched by goverments to diminish tobacco use and educate the population.Lunf cancer remains a health care problem. Worldwide, only 13-15% of the patients who develop lung cancer survive 5 years. Approximately 75-80of lung carcinomas are non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC), whereas the remaining 20-25% are small cell lung carcinmas (SCLC). The distiction between SCLC and NSCL is a pragmatic clinical classification to standardize management and therapy, since several differences in the treatment strategies exist between NSCL and SCLC. The major distinction between in term of treatment is that far more ofen NSCL is candidate for surgery. In addition, differences also exist in the epidemiology, etiology, pathology, clinical features, stating, prognostic factors and response to chemotherapy. The focus of this thesis is on NSCLC.