Is there a lung cancer epidemic looming in Asia, despite decline in smoking?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality throughout much of the industrialized and developing world. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, but with tobacco use on the decline in most western societies, it seems we have seen the peak of the lung cancer incidence in the west. In Asia, however, a lung cancer epidemic is looming as more smokers die and more children take up smoking. Despite this, lung cancer is currently responsible for more deaths annually in western countries than breast, colorectal and prostate cancers combined.

Non-small cell lung cancer is now the most common type of this disease, accounting for about 80% of all cases, and despite recent advances in treatment, NSCLC remains a disease of poor prognosis, with few treatment options available and an overall five-year survival rate of about 15%. According to a new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor, despite extensive R&D in the field, new drugs may struggle to improve NSCLC patient outcomes. However, research in the field of biomarkers may help improve the treatment of the disease, tailoring therapy to individual patient characteristics.

In 2008, an estimated 360,000 people in the seven major markets (the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK) will be diagnosed with NSCLC. Currently, screening programs are not part of standard clinical practice to routinely detect early development of the disease. As the condition is often asymptomatic until it has progressed, the majority of patients will be diagnosed with advanced stage of the disease where treatment has a palliative, rather than curative intent.