Developing a Molecular Diagnostic Technology to Detect Gene Fusions in Lung Cancer

Abstract

Lung cancer is the second most occurring cancer in the United States, behind breast cancer, but it is by far the leading cause of death out of all types of cancer. As lung cancer develops quickly, early detection is critical to a patient’s prognosis. Cancer is not a uniform disease – a number of different mutations are associated with lung cancer. For patients with some of these mutations, targeted therapies are available that provide a better alternative to non-specific chemotherapy. In this project, I concentrate on three mutations in lung cancer and work to develop a method of detection.