[Pre-cancerous lung lesions and lung cancer screening]

Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer. It is the result of genetic aberrations in the cells of the respiratory tract exposed to carcinogenic agents, responsible for their anarchic multiplication. It is necessary to study these abnormalities in order to better understand the early stages and the mechanisms of evolution, thereby to establish new screening, monitoring and treatment strategies. The NELSON study confirms that systematic screening for lung cancer in target populations leads to a reduction in mortality from this disease. Despite this, there is currently no consensus in Belgium between medical experts and politicians for systematic lung cancer screening.