Science, medicine, and the future. Lung cancer

Lung cancer, the most prevalent cancer in the Western world, is mainly caused by smoking. Nevertheless, only 20% of smokers develop lung cancer and while prevention is important, environmental factors are expected to contribute to the predicted rise in the incidence of lung cancer in the next 25 years. Survival of lung cancer is still poor, and new treatments are urgently needed. This review examines potential new therapeutic developments which have arisen from a greater understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of lung cancers.