Dingemans Anne-Marie C., Reck Martin, Westeel Virginie (eds.) Lung Cancer

European Respiratory Society, 2015. — 286 p. — (ERS Monographs). — ISBN: 978-1-84984-061-3.The GLOBOCAN project is a comprehensive cancer surveillance database managed by the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). The project aims to provide up-to-date estimates of the incidence, mortality and prevalence of major cancer types, at a national level, for 184 countries. GLOBOCAN estimate that ∼14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million deaths occurred in 2012 worldwide [1]. There were estimated to be 1.8 million new lung cancer cases in 2012 (12.9% of the total), 57% (65% of cancer deaths worldwide) of which occurred in the less developed regions, making lung cancer the most common cancer in the world. In both more and less developed countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among males, with the highest estimated age-standardised incidence rates occurring in Central and Eastern Europe (53.5 per 100 000) and Eastern Asia (50.4 per 100 000). In more developed countries, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among females. The highest estimated rates in females are in northern America (33.8) and northern Europe (23.7), with a relatively high rate in Eastern Asia (19.2) and the lowest rates in Western and Middle Africa (1.1 and 0.8 per 100 000, respectively) [1]. Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer worldwide; it is estimated that it causes nearly one in five deaths (1.59 million deaths, 19.4% of the total). Its high fatality (it has an overall the overall mortality to incidence ratio of 0.87) and the relative lack of variability in survival in different regions of the world, mean that the geographical patterns of mortality closely follow those of incidence. Even so, most lung cancer patients are diagnosed late, with the majority of them at an advanced disease stage. There are currently no curative therapy options available and long-term survival amongst lung cancer patients is still low. Nevertheless, enormous progress has been made during the last decade. Multimodal therapies have improved the prognosis as has the development of new surgical techniques, the optimisation of radiation therapy and the introduction of new chemotherapeutic agents. However, the decisive breakthrough has been the development of new immunopathological techniques, which allow for the detection of special genetic mutations and initiate individualised therapy according to this finding. The number of patients who benefit is still small; however, the quality of life and survival rates of those who respond to this treatment are impressive. The pharmaceutical industry invests heavily in the development of new diagnostic tools and effective treatment modalities, so expectations for the future are great. Smoking is still the most important risk factor worldwide. The set-up of preventive measures to reduce the smoking rate is therefore of paramount importance. However, some measures must be viewed with a critical distance. The dissemination of electronic cigarettes all over the world is viewed critically by experts and most of the lung societies [2]. The long-term consequences of these devices must be carefully examined before a final assessment is possible.Thoracic oncology plays an increasingly important role in respiratory medicine, as well as in the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Knowledge about oncology must make up a substantial part of a respiratory physician’s training, not only for those working in a hospital, but also for those in an outpatient setting.This issue of the ERS Monograph provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of lung cancer in clinical practice and research. The Guest Editors have done great job of ensuring that all aspects of this complex disease are represented, meaning this book will be of interest to a very broad readership.1. Torre LA, Bray F, Siegel RL, et al. Global cancer statistics, 2012. CA Cancer J Clin 2015; 65: 87–108.2. Brandon TH, Goniewicz ML, Hanna NH, et al. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: a policy statement from the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Clin Cancer Res 2015; 21: 514–525.