Defining drivers of metastatic lung cancer.

Lung cancer patient's die from metastatic disease, not primary disease. In the case of small cell lung cancer the brain is a primary site of metastatic spread and if detected alters treatment approach and predicted outcomes. However, the mechanisms that drive lung cancer to spread specifically to the brain are unknown and models do not exist to enable us to identify better treatments for these patients. This project will take advantage the preclinical mouse models my lab has developed and unbiased genome wide screening technologies to identify genetic drivers of brain metastasis.