It is a common belief that, if lung cancer is detected early enough, the medical profession can successfully treat it. However, a study of 510 lung cancer patients showed that detecting the disease at a very early stage has no effect on survival, according to an article published in the June issue of Chest. When first diagnosed, their tumor size was less than three centimeters. Yet, despite various medical treatments, including surgery, the patients fared no better than those whose cancer was diagnosed later in the development of the disease. During 2000, approximately 177,000 new primary lung cancers will be diagnosed in the United States.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in both men and women.
Approximately 160,000 deaths from the disease occur each year. Most cases occur between the ages of 60 and 80. Chest , June 2000.