Image-Guided Percutaneous Lung Needle Biopsy: How we do it.

Image-guided lung needle biopsy allows for minimally invasive diagnosis of lung pathology. In the setting of suspected malignancy, the biopsy not only confirms the diagnosis but also allows for molecular profiling, a requisite for tailored systemic therapy. Needle biopsy can also characterize non-neoplastic entities such as infections not responding to treatment and other inflammatory processes.

Role of PTEN in basal cell derived lung carcinogenesis.

Lung adenocarcinoma (AdC) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtypes, however, most genetic mouse models of lung cancer produce predominantly, if not exclusively, AdC. Whether this is secondary to targeting mutations to the distal airway cells or to the use of activating Kras mutations that drive AdC formation is unknown. We previously showed that targeting Kras(G12D) activation and transforming growth factor β receptor type II (TGFβRII) deletion to airway basal cells via a keratin promoter induced formation of both lung AdC and SCC.

Loss of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor increases aggressive tumor behavior and reduces survival in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtypes. This study was designed to determine whether reduced expression of TGFβ type II receptor (TGFβRII) promotes lung adenocarcinoma and SCC carcinogenesis.

Experimental Design: We examined TGFβRII expression at the protein and mRNA levels in human NSCLC samples and assessed the relationship between TGFβRII expression and clinicopathologic parameters.