ABSTRACT
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and has the highest mortality rate among all cancers. Worldwide, lung cancer kills over one million people each year.1 In the US, lung cancer accounts for 15% of all cancer incidence and approximately 28% of cancer deaths. It was estimated that in 2004 approximately 174000 new cases of lung cancer would be diagnosed in the US, and an estimated 160440 men and women would die from the disease.2
