[An overview of new prognostic factors in lung cancer]

The knowledge of prognostic factors such as TNM, performance status, and sex is essential for predicting patient outcome and optimal trial design and analysis. Recent advances in cytogenetics and molecular biology have yielded new prognostic factors such as DNA ploidy, oncogenes and oncogene product. New prognostic factors can predict patient outcome and should be incorporated for the multivariate analysis of prognostic factors. They can provide a guideline for selecting special patient population suitable for adjuvant chemotherapy even in the early stage of lung cancer.