Hypoxia as a Cause of Treatment Failure in Non-Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

Hypoxia is an important factor in tumor biology and is both a predictive and a prognostic factor in non small cell lung cancer. The negative effect of low oxygenation on radiation therapy effect has been known for decades, but more recent research has emphasized that hypoxia also has a profound effect on a tumor's aggression and metastatic propensity. In this review, current knowledge on both these aspects of treatment failure in NSCLC due to hypoxia has been discussed, along with a presentation of modem methods for hypoxia measurement and current therapeutical interventions to circumvent the negative effect of hypoxia on treatment results. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.