ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2007) — Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the world.

The prognosis for individuals with lung cancer depends on the stage at which their lung cancer is detected, with those caught at an early stage (stage I) having the best outlook. However, being able to predict prognosis would help doctors target treatments to patients more appropriately.

In a new study, Pier Paolo Di Fiore and colleagues at the Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Italy, have identified a signature of 10 genes that predicts survival for individuals with stage I lung adenocarcinomas (a common type of lung cancer).

The level of expression of these genes was easily determined by a routine laboratory technique known as RT-PCR making it easy to use in clinical laboratories. The authors therefore have suggested that determining patient prognosis using this gene signature might identify individuals who require additional treatment after surgery to improve their prognosis.

Article: Survival prediction of stage I lung adenocarcinomas by expression of 10 genes, Journal of Clinical Investigation, October 18, 2007

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