LKB1 Regulated Pathways in Lung Cancer Invasion and Metastasis

Metastasis is characterized by the ability of cancer cells to invade into adjacent tissue, intravasate into blood or lymphatic vessels, and extravasate into a distant tissue. Metastatic disease is primarily responsible for the low 5-year survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and therefore, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate NSCLC metastasis is clearly warranted. The serine/threonine kinase and tumor suppressor LKB1 is mutated in 30% of NSCLC tumors, and recent evidence points to a prominent role in NSCLC metastasis. This review summarizes LKB1-dependent invasion pathways where compromised LKB1 function could promote NSCLC metastasis.