Introduction Introduction Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths among both men and women than any other type of cancer in the United States. Almost one third of the cancer deaths in the United States result from cancer of the lung. On the basis of present trends, the probability at birth of eventual death from lung cancer is eight percent for men and almost four percent for women. Lung cancer has now surpassed breast cancer as the number one cause of death from cancer in women.
Recent studies show no major improvement in overall survival when all stages are considered.
The chance that multiple primary cancers will develop in the lungs of a patient with lung cancer is two to five percent, with a slightly higher rate among men than women. Thus, patients who respond to initial management should be followed closely for the development of additional primary cancers.