A host of new genes, including one that controls the growth of cells essential for lung function has been discovered in an effort to trace the genetic landscape of lung cancer.

The study, conducted by an international research team, examined aberrations in the genetic code of lung adenocarcinoma, which is the most common form of lung cancer. Researchers found 57 changes that are frequently associated with these types of tumors, and only about one third of the changes are linked with the 15 genes that are already known to play a role in lung cancer.

Team member Dr. Matthew Meyerson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University said that the findings can reveal what causes cancer and how it should be treated. The most common change discovered is involved in as many as 12 percent of lung-cancer tumors.

More Industry Headlines