In the United States, lung cancer is the second most common diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death. Although tobacco smoking is the major risk factor accounting for 80% to 90% of all lung cancer diagnoses, there are numerous other risk factors that have been identified as casually associated with lung cancer etiology. However, there are few causally linked risk factors for lung cancer diagnosed among never smokers, which, if considered a unique reportable category, is the 11th most common cancer and the 7th leading cause of cancer-related death. Lung cancer survival has only marginally improved over the last several decades, but the availability of screening and early detection by low-dose CT and advances in targeted treatments and immunotherapy will likely decrease mortality rates and improve patient survival outcomes in the near future.

doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0221 - 2019