Clinical relevance of stem cells in lung cancer

Figure 1 Classification and main characteristics of lung cancer. Lung cancer is classified into two histological types, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) derived from cells of the neuroendocrine lineage and non-SCLC (NSCLC) derived from epithelial cells. NSCLC is classified into three subtypes: Adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. SCLC: Small cell lung cancer; NSCLC: Non-SCLC; AD: Adenocarcinoma; SCC: Squamous cell carcinoma; LCC: Large cell carcinoma.

Figure 2 Stem cell biomarkers in lung cancer. Biomarkers identified in cancer stem cells in lung tissue include clusters of differentiation, cell adhesion molecules, cell membrane transporters, enzymes of cell metabolism, and transcription factors. CSCs: Cancer stem cells; ABCG2: ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2; ALDH: Aldehyde dehydrogenase.