Long Noncoding RNAs in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: State of the Art

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Despite a significant amount of basic and clinical research, mortality rates remain extremely high, especially for patients affected by advanced stage disease. Recently, new molecules playing several roles in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and, potentially, clinical management of lung cancer are under investigation, including noncoding fragments of the human genome, also known as noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). NcRNAs are commonly divided into two categories according to their size. The first category includes small ncRNAs, such as the recently discovered miRNAs, siRNAs, and the classical cellular RNAs (ribosomal, transfer, and other RNAs). Noncoding RNAs greater than 200 nucleotides represent a further category that includes long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). LncRNAs have numerous biological and pathophysiological effects. Numerous studies have recently investigated their involvement in the oncogenesis and the progression of pulmonary malignancies. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and clinical management of non-small cell lung cancer.