Analysis of c-ErbB1/epidermal growth factor receptor and c-ErbB2/HER-2 expression in bronchial dysplasia: evaluation of potential targets for chemoprevention of lung cancer.

Purpose: Lung cancer is preceded by a premalignant phase during which intervention could decrease associated morbidity and mortality. Molecular characterization of factors involved in controlling progression of bronchial dysplasias will provide markers of premalignant change and identify targets for chemoprevention.

Experimental Design: Immunohistochemical analysis of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; c-ErbB1/EGFR), HER-2/neu (c-ErbB2/HER-2), Ki-67, and minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2) expression in bronchial dysplasia was undertaken to characterize molecular alterations associated with the progression of these lesions in 268 bronchoscopically obtained biopsies from 134 subjects.

Chemoprevention of lung cancer--from biology to clinical reality.

Lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in developed countries and throughout the world. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for lung cancer and ex-smokers today comprise approximately 50% of all new lung cancer cases. Chemoprevention builds on the concepts of field of cancerization and multistep carcinogenesis and can be defined as the use of natural or chemical compounds to prevent, inhibit or reverse the process of carcinogenesis.