News
Yale study examines lung cancer metastasis
In a recent study, Yale researchers discovered a mechanism co-opted by lung cancer cells in order to spread to the brain.
Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths, killing more people than breast, colon and prostate cancers worldwide, according to Don Nguyen, a professor of pathology at the Yale School of Medicine and a senior author of the study. The most frequentluy diagnosed form of lung cancer is lung adenocarcinoma, which originates in the lungs but is most dangerous after it has migrated to other parts of the body in a process known as metastasis. LUAD metastasis to the brain is often deadly and can leave survivors with heightened risk of relapse and a far lower quality of life, Nguyen said.
Metastasis is one of cancer’s many “black boxes” Nguyen said, in that very little is known about the mechanisms that allow this process to take place.
Source: Yale Daily News