Moving forward with circulating tumor cells and lung cancer

Lung cancer is still the deadliest tumor around the world. Annually over 1 million people dye due to lung cancer (1). The most common cause of death in (lung) cancer patients is due to metastases. Tumor load increases exponentially by dissemination and growth of neoplastic cells into organs distinct from that in which they originated (2). Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) accounts for around 85% of all lung cancer cases and is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. At presentation approximately 70% of patients present with advanced disease, for whom curative therapy will not be available (3). During the last decade new drugs have been developed for specific subtypes of lung cancer. Emphasis is now on targeted therapy, with drug aiming at a mutated protein that has become an oncogen (4).