Pharmacogenetics in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

The cisplatin-based regimen is an effective treatment for advanced NSCLC, showing significant beneficial outcomes such as prolong survival, improve clinical symptoms, and improve quality of life (QOL) . Although platinum-based therapy shows several benefits, but the five-year survival rate still less than 20%. Pt resistance is an inevitable occurrence with rare exception. Aside from germ cell tumors, metastatic solid tumors are generally thought to be incurable with cytotoxic chemotherapy due to the development of resistance and subsequent disease progression. Despite the multifactorial nature of Cisplatin resistance, intracellular accumulation of Pt appears to be a major source of drug resistance . Reduced intracellular drug accumulation is one of the most consistently identified features of cisplatin-resistant cells. Many evidences indicated that alteration of copper transporter protein 1 (CTR1) which is the major plasma membrane transporter responsible for platinum uptake, was associated with platinum sensitivity and toxicity. Genetic polymorphisms of CTR1 also have effects to platinum treatment response. Therefore, CTR1 might be a potential prognostic factor for survival in cancer patients underwent chemotherapy and a treatment target for overcoming platinum resistance.