Scientists find gene clue in smokers' lung cancer

Scientists have found a genetic alteration that occurs in a common type of lung cancer in smokers, which they say provides a target for developing much-needed new drugs against the often deadly tumours. In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a German-led team of researchers said a gene known as FGFR1 was "a new suspect" in squamous cell lung cancer and their findings may lead to targeted drugs for patients whose current treatment options are limited.

"Until now, the news for patients with such cancers has not been good," said Nicholas Turner at Institute of Cancer Research in London, who wrote a commentary in the same journal. He said, however, that this study provided "the first glimmer of hope". Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, killing up to 1.3 million people a year, according to the World Health Organisation. The vast majority of cases are caused by smoking. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for around 80 percent of cases and is divided roughly equally into two main groups - adenocarcinomas and squamous carcinomas. Squamous cell lung cancer tends to respond poorly to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and there are as yet no targeted drugs for it.