An update on management of lung cancer--Acta Oncologica Lecture-Västerås 21 March 2002

Globally, the incidence of lung cancer continues to rise drastically in parallel with increased tobacco consumption but with wide geographic variations. Despite the enforcement of more rigid health policies in many countries, lung cancer will for many years to come be a recurrent disease which most physicians will be confronted with at regular intervals. Furthermore, variations in the management of lung cancer occur from region to region influenced by differences in traditions, knowledge, healthcare systems and available resources. In this article a brief overview is presented of the management of both non-small cell and small cell lung cancer including recent results that may have an impact on the management of this disease.