Since the majority of lung cancer is diagnosed at a relatively late stage, only 10 percent are ultimately cured.
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other form of cancer.
It is estimated that by the year 2,000, more than 300,000 people will die from lung cancer in the U.S. alone. Currently the success in curing lung cancer is low when the tumor extends beyond an early stage of disease. Therefore, prevention is the best hope of limiting the loss of life from this terrible condition. Avoidance or limiting exposure to agents known to cause lung cancer, primarily cigarette smoking, is the best means of preventing lung cancer. To improve the survival rate of patients, physicians must be able to recognize cancer at the earliest possible stage.