HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McWilliams, A. Articles by Sutedja, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by McWilliams, A. Articles by Sutedja, T.

Early proximal lung cancer diagnosis and treatment

¹ British Columbia Cancer Agency and Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ² Dept of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, ³ Dept of Pulmonary Medicine, VU Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

CORRESPONDENCE: A. McWilliams, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Cancer Agency and Vancouver General Hospital, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada. Fax: 1 6046758099. E-mail: amcwilli{at}bccancer.bc.ca

Received: August 12, 2008
Accepted August 20, 2008

Lung cancer remains the largest cause of cancer deaths worldwide and the overall 5-yr survival rate is only 15%. This is because the majority of the lung cancers are diagnosed at late stages and the treatment outcome is suboptimal. However, the survival of patients with early stage proximal lung cancer is excellent and with advancements in technology we are currently well equipped to diagnose and stage these lung cancers. Together with the application of local bronchoscopic therapeutic modalities that may potentially cure early stage intraluminal lesions, there is expanding interest in the further exploration of new avenues for early detection, localisation, staging, treatment and close surveillance of these high-risk patients who are suffering from chronic field carcinogenesis. The present article will deal with various issues regarding early detection, staging and treatment of centrally located early stage, mostly squamous type, lung cancer.