ABSTRACT
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among both men and women in the USA, with over 170 000 new cases and over 150 000 deaths estimated in 2003.1
Approximately 80 percent of cases diagnosed are nonsmall cell lung cancer, including the major subtypes of squamous cell, adenocarcinoma, and large cell, while 20 percent are small cell lung cancer.2 Among the nonsmall cell lung cancers, the incidence of adenocarcinoma has risen over the past two decades to surpass that of squamous cell carcinoma in North America.
