Dtsch Arztebl Int
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In Germany, lung cancer causes more deaths than any other malignant disease. Its main etiology is smoking, but other risk factors need to be considered as well. The morphological, molecular and biological phenotype is complex and should no longer be just categorized as either small-cell or non-small cell lung cancer. ⋯ The morphological and molecular classification of lung cancer is undergoing a re-evaluation which will lead to more accurate assessment of individual prognoses and to improved prediction of the response to specific treatment regimens.
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110 000 to 140 000 people die in Germany each year of tobacco-related diseases. Thus, measures should be taken to lower the number of persons who start smoking, encourage smokers to stop, and keep those who have stopped from starting again, in order to achieve a sustained benefit in public health. ⋯ Smokers who decide to quit can benefit from their doctors' support. Physicians should be taught about tobacco dependency and how to treat it as part of their undergraduate medical education, residency training, and continuing medical education.