Loss of PTEN Expression is an Independent Poor Prognostic Factor in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: The PTEN gene acts as a tumor suppressor gene and there are various mechanisms involved to suppress its function, including mutation, homozygous deletion, and promoter methylation. Recently, the role of PTEN loss is focused on drug resistance mechanism, such as gefitinib. We investigated PTEN protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and correlated with clinicopathologic features to evaluate prognostic significance.