Advances in lung cancer metastasis: Mechanisms, biomarkers, and translational management

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and metastatic disease accounts for the majority of this burden. Despite advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the mechanisms driving metastatic spread, organ tropism, and therapy resistance remain incompletely understood, and reliable biomarkers to guide clinical decision-making in the metastatic setting are still needed.This Research Topic welcomes research that advances the understanding of lung cancer metastasis and its translation into clinical management, organized around three complementary perspectives:1. Cellular and mechanistic drivers of metastasis- Molecular and cellular mechanisms of lung cancer metastasis, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and organotropism (brain, bone, liver, adrenal)- Carcinogenesis pathways and chemoprevention strategies relevant to metastatic progression- Tumor microenvironment and immune evasion mechanisms underlying metastatic spread- Preclinical and translational models (patient-derived xenografts, organoids) of metastatic lung cancer with human validation2. Molecular biomarkers and diagnostics- Liquid biopsy and minimal residual disease monitoring, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and exosomes- Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and multi-omics approaches to characterize metastatic lesions and guide patient stratification- Molecular profiling for prognosis, early detection, and monitoring of metastatic disease- Mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies and immunotherapy, and biomarkers predicting response3.Surgical and translational management- Management of oligometastatic disease, including metastasectomy, stereotactic ablative approaches, and multimodal local control- Site-specific management of metastases (brain, bone, adrenal, pleural, pericardial)- Novel and emerging systemic therapies for metastatic disease, including targeted agents, antibody-drug conjugates, and combination immunotherapy strategies- Real-world evidence and clinical outcomes research in metastatic lung cancer managementSubmissions should demonstrate clear translational or clinical relevance and methodological rigor. In line with the scope of the Thoracic Oncology section, manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analyses of public databases without independent validation are not suitable for this Research Topic. Topic editors: Domenico Galetta, Pasquale Pisapia Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84312/advances-in-lung-cancer-metastasis-mechanisms-biomarkers-and-translational-management