ABSTRACT
Lung cancer is the commonest cancer in the world today (12.3% of all new cancers, 17.8% of cancer deaths). There were an estimated 1.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths in 2000.1 Approximately half (52%) of all new cases occur in developed countries.2 Lung cancer is nearly three times more frequent in males than in females (the sex ratio (M:F) is 2.7:1).
