[Research progress of thyroid transcription factor-1 as molecular marker in lung carcinoma]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The majority of cases, the diagnosis is made at an advanced stage. The prognosis is poor with a 5-year survival rate less than 16% and the median overall survival 1 year or so. In recent years, research has focused on the potential role of new biological factors involved in the carcinogenic process. It's well known that thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) was a special lineage-survival oncogene in lung cancer according to recent researches. It has become apparent that TTF-1 expression has biological and clinical functions in the opposite direction that act in tumor progression. Herein, we summarize the role of this transcription factor in the development, diagnosis, and prognosis of lung cancer in the hope of providing insights into the utility of TTF-1 as a novel biomarker of lung cancer.