The purpose of this workshop entitled """"""""Hormones, Growth Factor, and Oncogenes in Pulmonary Cancer"""""""" is to bring together international investigators who will focus on new leads into the pathophysiology of pulmonary cancer growth. The goals of this meeting would be to share, analyze and integrate the rapidly expanding information about growth factors and oncogenes in pulmonary cancer. It will also allow investigators to synthesize new approaches to control this disease, which is the leading cancer in many countries. A number of growth factors including some peptide hormones such as vasopressin and bombesin/gastrin- releasing peptide have been discovered which appear to support tumor growth in an autocrine fashion. Oncogenes have an important role in developing and maintaining neoplastic growth, and may be closely associated with a number of these growth factors. Evidence that in vitro models of lung cancer growth may be supported by such growth factors has stimulated interest in the possibility of developing antigrowth factors to limit tumor growth. The amplification of certain oncogenes, for instance c- myc, has been associated with less well differentiated and more rapidly growing forms of pulmonary cancer cells, such findings may serve as potential discriminants for future classifications of pulmonary tumors according to their biologic aggressiveness as well as leading to a better understanding of tumor growth controls. The proposed workshop will allow international investigators who are leaders in these fields to come together in a collegial environment and share this vital information about this common disease.
