Diagnosis and management of early lung cancer

Bronchogenic carcinoma remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Approximately 80% of newly diagnosed cases are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); 80% of these present with disseminated or locally advanced disease. Unfortunately, only 10% are potentially surgically curable patients with early-stage disease (T1N0/T2N0). Most patients with early-stage disease are asymptomatic, with their lung cancer detected as a result of non-cancer related procedures. Studies have shown that chest radiography as a screening modality resulted in a higher discovery of early disease, but did not translate to a significant reduction in lung cancer mortality. Recent work on low-dose helical CT, however, has renewed interest in the challenge of detecting early-stage lung cancer.