The research center Médica Aplicada (CIMA ) of the University of Navarra will initiate a multicenter study on new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in poorly characterized types of lung cancer. goal The project, financed by the Fundación Científica aecc with 1,200,000 euros, aims toidentify new therapeutic targets and markers to improve the survival and quality of life of patients.

Lung carcinoma is the cancer with the highest mortality rate in Western countries. In Europe it accounts for about 410,000 new cases per year and is manager responsible for about 353,000 deaths. Despite the clear association of lung cancer to smoking, available global statistics report that 15% of cases in men and an even higher percentage in women are not attributable to smoking. "The biology and possible diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of these tumors in non-smokers are poorly understood compared to lung carcinomas caused by smoking," explains Dr. Luis Montuenga, researcher of CIMA and coordinator of project, which is being carried out at partnership with the Clínica Universidad de Navarra. Also participating are the high school de research Biomedica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL) and the high school de research Oncology of the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, both in Barcelona.

Thanks to advances in molecular and cellular biology, as well as new generation technologies, new mutations and genetic alterations have been discovered in the last decade that are implicated in various cases of lung cancer. However, the molecular alterations core topic in about 50% of lung tumors are still unknown. "Our project is going to use genomic technologies from high performing to identify and validate new molecular targets in three tumor types with fewer therapeutic options (non-smoker tumors, smoker tumors without known genetic alterations and small cell carcinomas). The goal is to implement new personalized therapies that improve the survival and quality of life of these patients".

Another challenge in medicine today is to determine which patients with early stage disease should be treated with chemotherapy after tumor removal. "In this project we will identify prognostic molecular markers in patients with early stage squamous lung carcinoma that will allow us to identify those patients with a higher risk of disease progression," concludes the researcher of CIMA.

aecc

The aecc, through its Scientific Foundation, brings together the social demand of research against cancer, financing through public tender programs of scientific and social research . These programs are aimed at achieving advances in science to improve the future of sick people and their families and to consolidate a scientific structure in Spain, bringing the achievements to society as a whole.