The risk for lung cancer mortality increased with the number of cigarettes smoked. Lung cancer risk increased with the number of years of smoking, and this increase was independent of the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is a cause of lung cancer and coronary heart disease among women who are lifetime nonsmokers. Recent advances in treatment have increased survival rates and improved the quality of life of patients significantly. Thanks to new treatments, the cure rate for lung cancer has doubled over the last 30 years.
Early detection is critical.
When caught early, most lung cancers can be cured. Learn about early detection if you are a current or former smoker. If you have lung cancer, find out about all the options available to patients. A report of the Surgeon General, Rockville, MD .