Lung cancer causes 30 percent of all cancer deaths per year making it the leading cause of cancer death in the United States on an annual basis.

It takes more lives annually than breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, and melanoma combined. More than 50% of the time, new lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a very late stage, making them difficult to treat effectively. In fact, only 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with advanced lung cancer will reach the five year survival plateau.

Recent improvements in diagnostic technology, biopsy and treatment techniques have enhanced the clinician’s ability to accurately diagnose, stage and treat lung cancer. Perhaps no other improvement has been as important as the use of computed tomography, often called a CT or CAT scan, as a front line screening tool in detecting early stage lung cancer in asymptomatic patients.