ABSTRACT
Carcinoma of the lung and bronchus constitutes a significant public health threat worldwide. The politics of tobacco use and tobacco taxes significantly complicate prevention efforts. In the US, carcinoma of the lung is projected to account for approximately 15% of all new cancer diagnoses and 29% of all cancer deaths in 2007. This will include an estimated 213 380 total new cases (114 760 men, 98 620 women), and an estimated 160 390 deaths (89 510 men, 70 880 women). In men, the death rate from lung cancer is declining; however, in women the death rate has stabilized. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in women in the US surpassing breast cancer deaths in 1987 1 .
