Screening, early detection, and early intervention strategies for lung cancer

Screening for lung cancer has been utilized for several decades without demonstrating overall survival benefit. However, recent advances in treatment of lung cancer, improvements in our biologic understanding of lung cancer development, and an increasing population of healthy ex-smokers provide cause for optimism. Several chemoprevention trials suggest that it may be possible to intervene in the oncogenic process prior to be development of invasive malignancy, resulting in a delay or reversal of these changes.