Medical treatment of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women in the United States. Most patients present with late stages of disease, rendering them incurable. Despite this dismal outcome, there is optimism; modern treatment for lung cancer has been shown to increase survival, improve quality of life, and be cost effective. This article reviews the current treatment strategies for non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer as well as discusses future treatments, including the exciting biologic agents that are in clinical trials.