Peptide Hormones in Lung Cancer

The incidence of lung cancer has reached epidemic proportions throughout the civilized world. One indication of the dimensions of this problem is that in the United States lung cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death in women as well as men. In 1912 there was a "nearly complete consensus of opinion that primary malignant neoplasms of the lung (were one) of the rarest forms of disease," according to Adler. By 1937, however, it had become clear that the incidence of lung cancer was increasing significantly; this increase has been progressive ever since. It is now well known that some lung cancers give rise to a variety of hormones which, at times, produce clinical manifestations. The association of hormone production with a "nonendocrine" tumor raises many questions, the answers to which may shed some light on the etiology of this prevalent form of cancer. This fascinating prob­ lem has stimulated a wide variety of studies in both the clinical and the basic sciences. A number of the more recent studies in this field were discussed at the International Symposium on Peptide Hor­ mones and Lung Cancer held in Marburg, West Germany, on June 18-20, 1984. This volume contains the papers that were pre­ sented on this occasion.

Inhalt

Hormones and Neurotransmitters in Normal Lung.- Occurrence and Distribution of Regulatory Peptides in the Respiratory Tract.- Peptide Hormones and Their Possible Functions in the Normal and Abnormal Lung.- Neurotransmitters and Their Role in Pulmonary Physiology.- Biochemistry of Peptide Hormones and Neurotransmitters Produced by Lung Cancer.- Peptide Hormone Biosynthesis - Recent Developments.- ACTH and Related Peptides in Lung Cancer.- Physalaemin-Like Immunoreactivity from Human Lung Small Cell Carcinoma: Isocratic Reversed-Phase HPLC Analysis of the Chemically Modified Peptide.- Calcitonin in Human Malignancies.- Differential Expression of the Human Calcitonin - CGRP Gene in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and Lung Carcinoma Cell Lines.- Calcitonin in Lung Cancer.- Parathyroid Hormone and PTHmRNA in a Human Small Cell Lung Cancer.- The Endocrine Lung Tumor Cell: In Vitro Studies.- The Pathogenesis of Hormone-Producing Tumors of the Lung.- Peptide Hormone Production in Primary Lung Tumors.- Peptide Hormone Production in Lung Cancer Cell Lines of Different Histopathological Types.- The Endocrine Lung Tumor Cell: Morphological Aspects.- Morphological Growth Characteristics and Hormone Secretion of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung In Vitro.- Regulation of Hormone Production in Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung.- The Serum-Free Establishment and in Vitro Growth Properties of Classic and Variant Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines.- Expression of Peptide and Other Markers in Lung Cancer Cell Lines.- Neurotensin in Human Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.- Clinical Implications of Peptide Hormone Production in Lung Cancer.- Peptide Hormones as Tumor Markers in Lung Cancer Patients.- Peptide Hormones in Patients with Lung Cancer.- Clinical Evaluation of the Neurophysins as Tumor Markers in Small Cell Lung Cancer.- Prospective Multicenter Study of Hormone Markers in Small Cell Lung Cancer.- General Aspects of Tumor Growth.- Syndromes Associated with Inappropriate Hormone Synthesis by Tumors: An Evolutionary Interpretation.- Genes and Gene Products Involved in Growth Regulation of Tumor Cells.- Oncogene Expression in Human Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.