Early involvement of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in lung cancer progression.

Signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) pathway has been associated with lung tumorigenesis. We examined the association between gene copy number of the PI3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) and phosphorylated Akt expression in invasive and preinvasive lung cancers. We sought to determine at what stage of tumor development gene copy number increase or phosphorylated Akt overexpression might affect tumor development.

Significance of p63 amplification and overexpression in lung cancer development and prognosis.

The fight against lung cancer is greatly compromised by the lack of effective early detection strategies. Genomic abnormalities and specifically the amplification of chromosomal region 3q26-3qter in lung cancer represent a major signature of neoplastic transformation. Here, we address the significance of p53 homologue p63 mapping to 3q27 in lung tumorigenesis.