Research Advances Focus on Tumor Growth.(lung cancer)

Lung cancer accounts for almost 15% of all cancer cases, making it one of the most common cancers in the United States. Each year, 170,000 new cases of this disease are diagnosed. Lung cancer research is highly active due to the seriousness of the disease and the lack of a truly effective treatment. CenterWatch has confirmed 70 Lung cancer drugs in clinical trials.

Lung cancer is generally defined as the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lung. There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell and non-small cell (epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma). These terms describe the type of cell a doctor sees under the microscope, not the actual size of the tumor. According to the American Cancer Society non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for almost 75% of the newly diagnosed U.S. lung cancer cases annually. The five-year survival rate for advanced NSCLC is less than 10%.

Both types of cancer are often found in patients who smoke or have a history of smoking. Unfortunately, lung cancer can go unnoticed for long periods of time since the symptoms mirror those of bronchitis (coughing or chest pain, wheezing, and shortness of breath). If the tumor is detected early and occurs only in one lung, surgery is often recommended and can be successful. But cancer is more commonly found in both lungs, requiring a combination of surgery and other treatments. For tumors identified in later stages, high-dose radiation targeting the cancer cells is the treatment of choice. Depending on the stage of the cancer, chemotherapy will usually be used in …