ABSTRACT
Lung cancer is today the most frequent cause of cancer deaths in the Western world. On a global basis it is estimated that 1.2 million people are diagnosed with this disease every year (12.3% of the total number of cancer diagnosed), and about 1.1 million people are dying of this disease yearly (17.8% of the total cancer death).1 More than two-thirds of these people are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease, and their poor prognosis is due to late diagnosis and lack of effective treatment of metastatic disease. The 5-year survival is-in best scenario-about 15%, and in several European countries the 5-year survival is far less. Despite the optimal use of therapeutic resources, the overall improvement in survival during recent decades has only been modest, and major reductions in lung cancer mortality can only come from primary prevention, early detection and truly innovative treatments.
