Global advances and future directions in lung cancer care: expert consensus and strategic priorities

Over the past decade, lung cancer management has been reshaped by advances in early detection, treatment, and prevention. Prevention now extends beyond tobacco control to include recognition of non-tobacco risk factors, screening, and incidental nodule programs. Yet progress in primary prevention remains uneven, with marked regional disparities. Smoking prevalence continues to decline and measures to reduce particulate matter exposure are expanding, but the overall global impact remains inconsistent.

This article draws upon the discussions and expert recommendations presented at the New York Lung Cancer Foundation Summit 2025, integrating perspectives on prevention, screening, therapeutic innovation, and health system challenges across diverse health care settings.

Screening programs, now active in >40 countries, achieve lower false-positive rates and earlier-stage diagnoses, although lung cancer incidence is rising among individuals who never used any tobacco products in some regions. Therapeutic innovations-including perioperative immunotherapy, targeted treatments for oncogene-driven non-small-cell lung cancer, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)-have markedly improved survival outcomes. Persistent challenges include refining patient selection, sequencing multimodal therapies, managing toxicity, and understanding mechanisms of resistance. Systemic barriers such as unequal progress in tobacco and vaping prevention, limited screening uptake, delayed molecular testing, and restricted access to multidisciplinary care continue to blunt these gains. Ongoing research on novel immunotherapies, ADCs, and bispecific antibodies aims to overcome therapeutic resistance. In small-cell lung cancer, consolidation immunotherapy and delta-like ligand 3-targeted approaches have improved outcomes and are redefining treatment paradigms. Persistent disparities in access and trial participation underscore the need for more equitable study designs, stronger international collaboration, and clearer communication with the public.

This article summarizes current advances and strategic priorities in lung cancer research and care, reflecting the discussions and recommendations of the New York Lung Cancer Foundation Summit 2025.