Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Development Stage Early Development
U.S. Incidence of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer1 160,000/Year
Global Incidence of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer2 1.2 Million/Year

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Genomic Health’s Products in Development

Lung cancer is a condition where there is uncontrolled growth of cells in the lungs. It is the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women.3 Exposure to tobacco smoke is by far the most common cause of lung cancer, but a large number of men and women who never smoked are being diagnosed. The term “non-small cell lung cancer” refers to how the involved cells look under the microscope (another type of lung cancer is known as “small cell lung cancer”). Non-small cell lung cancer includes squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common kind of lung cancer. Current treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation. A test which would provide insight into the individual biology and behavior of newly diagnosed lung cancers is greatly needed to better inform treatment planning for lung cancer patients and their physicians. Genomic Health is working to develop such tests.

For more information about lung cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute’s Lung Cancer page or the non-profit group lungcancer.org.

Relevant Presentations
2003 ASCO Annual Meeting—Chicago, IL

Abstract #763: Oral Presentation
Quantitative Gene Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer from Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Specimens: Predicting Response to Gefitinib, an EGFR Kinase Inhibitor
RB Natale, S Shak, N Aronson, S Averbuch, W Fox, D Luthringer, K Clark, J Baker, M Cronin, DB Agus

  1. MattsonJack DaVinci ©2004, 2007.
  2. Globocan 2002/ACS Cancer Facts & Figures, 2007.
  3. American Cancer Society 2007 Statistics. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/CAFF2007PWSecured.pdf. Accessed July 22, 2008.