Molecular biology, genomics, and proteomics in bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.

The charge of the Molecular Biology, Genomics, and Proteomics in Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma Committee was to evaluate the molecular biology, genomic changes, and proteomic findings in patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma compared with other types of lung cancer. The literature was reviewed and unpublished information was presented by the committee members at the session. The molecular biology studies have included findings on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, p53 mutations, K-ras mutations, and loss of heterozygosity. The genomic changes have mostly focused on the mRNA expression arrays as well as protein studies. The current state of knowledge was reviewed, the missing information was acknowledged, and proposals for future research were identified.