Resumo

MAYORAL CHAVEZ, MIGUEL ÁNGEL et al. PERSPECTIVA MONOGRÁFICA DEL CÁNCER PULMONAR: UN ENFOQUE MOLECULAR Y LA METÁSTASIS AL CEREBRO. Rev. Inst. Nal. Enf. Resp. Mex. [online]. 2004, vol.17, n.4, pp.283-292. ISSN 0187-7585.

Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the world. In Mexico, like in developed countries, lung cancer is very frequent and particularly severe when there is metastatic disease. Metastasis: Cell sowing at a distance is the worst complication of cancer. The main cause of death in cancer is metastasis. Cell migration and metastasis are not randomized. There is evidence of cellular tumor predisposition for metastasis; furthermore, the migrating cell does it through the participation of several adhesion molecules, carbohydrate-ligand proteins and related cytokinetics phenomena. When metastatic cells are deposited in the central nervous system, the probabilities for recuperation or survival are nil. Glycosylation: The role of cell-surface oligosaccharides in the recognition, signalization, migration, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, is crucial for the development, proliferation, migration, invasion and eventual metastasis of the neoplastic cell. Modifications in the expression of the cell-surface oligosaccharides have influence in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Conclusions: In this review, we present the evidence supporting the molecular basis of lung carcinogenesis, and the cell migration phenomena which are involved in brain metastasis.

Palavras-chave : Lung cancer; metastasis; cell-adhesion molecules.