Lung Cancer

Abstract

Lung cancer continues to be the major cause of cancer death in the United States. The understanding of this disease, as well as its management, has evolved through laboratory and clinical efforts; however, patient outcome has been little changed in the past 50 years. Work continues in an effort to better uncover the genetic, molecular, and cellular components that contribute to lung cancer tumorgenesis with the hope that understanding these initiating factors might provide improved clinical management strategies. This review begins with an update of the epidemiology of lung cancer, with a brief discussion of current concepts and techniques used to investigate these genetic, molecular, and cellular aspects. Lung cancer continues to be well-served by the classification into small cell and non-small cell types, and the recent revisions of this system are described. Disease presentation is addressed and commonly accepted diagnostic approaches are reviewed. The stages of non-small cell cancer and their therapies are described, with a focus on the controversies regarding limited resection versus lobectomy and lymph node sampling versus node resection. Recent chemotherapeutic strategies and ongoing trials are also discussed. The lung cancers with neuroendocrine components are summarized, and the review finishes with the anatomically unique superior sulcus tumors.

Key Words:

Lung cancer - carcinogenesis - non-small cell carcinoma - small cell carcinoma