Stem Cells and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer. It is estimated that every 15 minutes in the UK, one person dies of lung cancer1 and in both the UK and USA more people die of it than any other type of cancer,2,3 it being responsible for about one quarter of all deaths from cancer. Its high mortality rate is also reflected on a global scale, with lung cancer accounting for more than 1 million deaths per year.4 Lung cancer is usually sub-divided into three types: small cell lung cancer (SCLC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and mesothelioma — a rare type of cancer that affects the pleura. Stem cells and cancer are inextricably linked; the perceived wisdom is that the process of carcinogenesis initially affects normal stem cells or their closely related progenitors, and then at some point, neoplastic stem cells are generated that propagate and ultimately maintain the process. Many, if not all cancers contain …