| Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. For all stages of the disease, overall survival is 15% over five years. Emerging data suggest that lung cancer in East Asians and North Americans is different biologically and clinically. For example, while the overwhelming majority of cases of lung cancer are due to cigarette smoking, lung cancer also arises in patients who never smoked (defined as those who smoked less than 100 cigarettes in a lifetime). In the US, about 10% of lung cancers occur in non smokers. Higher percentages (~30%) of non smokers among patients with lung cancer have been observed in East Asian countries, despite the fact that fewer women smoke in East Asia as compared to North America. Similarly, the frequency of tumor-specific mutations in the gene that encodes the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is higher in East Asians as compared to North Americans. Consistent with this, multiple clinical trials have shown that East Asians with lung cancer have higher response rates to drugs that inhibit EGFR, such as gefitinib (Iressa) than do North Americans. The differences in lung cancer among East Asians and North Americans should be taken into account by oncologists in the US.
Dr. Pao is Assistant Attending at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
Conference Program 2008
Scientific Meeting 2008
