Putative stemness markers octamer-binding transcription factor 4, sex-determining region Y-box 2, and NANOG in non-small cell lung carcinoma: A clinicopathological association.

Background: The promising improvement in the clinical outcome of lung cancer can be possibly achieved by identification of the molecular events that underlie its pathogenesis. Cancer stem cell (CSC) being one of the subsets of tumor majorly participates in drug resistance and treatment failure because of the moderate cell cycle, lower proliferation, and increased expression of DNA repair and anti-apoptosis genes. Although many putative CSC markers exist, a precise characterization for non-small cell lung cancer is of utmost importance due to increased mortality rate and lack of targeted therapies.