ERBB2 agents," he added in a statement. Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in men and second only to breast cancer in female deaths. Non-small-cell lung cancers are not usually diagnosed until the cancer has spread beyond the lung and does not respond well to existing forms of chemotherapy. The ERBB2 mutation also occurs in 10 percent of adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer which is found in smokers. The Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in England is cataloguing changes within the genome of cancer cells. By identifying mutations that can lead to the development of cancer they hope to be able to search for new treatments and identify the best therapy for each patient. "With this strategy of searching for the root of gene problems we have an opportunity to make progress in the treatment of other cancers. I have to stress, however, we are still a long, long way from cures," he added.
