Lung cancer remains a significant global health challenge, largely due to difficulties in early detection and the lack of effective therapeutic strategies for more advanced‑stage disease. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying lung carcinogenesis and identifying reliable biomarkers is of urgent importance. Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcripts of >200 nucleotides without protein‑coding potential, have recently emerged as key regulators of tumor cell invasion, metastasis, proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests that lncRNAs hold notable promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer. However, a comprehensive overview that integrates their mechanistic roles, clinical potential and the technological advances in their detection, while critically addressing the associated challenges, is lacking, to the best of the authors' knowledge. In the present review, a summary of recent advances in the mechanistic roles of lncRNAs during lung cancer progression and their involvement in therapy response and chemoresistance was provided, along with an up‑to‑date discussion of emerging detection technologies and their implications for clinical translation. The advantages, limitations and challenges of using lncRNAs as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer are discussed. By synthesizing these aspects, the present review aimed to highlight the novel insights into lncRNAs and outline future research directions, thereby addressing a critical gap in the current literature.
