Overview and state of the art in the management of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is a major health problem worldwide. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80% to 85% of all lung cancers, while small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 15% to 20% of cases. For early-stage and locally advanced NSCLC (stages I through III), a multimodality treatment approach is appropriate because it improves survival. Combination chemotherapy is currently the standard treatment for good performance patients with metastatic disease. Elderly patients (> or = 70 years) with metastatic NSCLC also benefit from treatment. In SCLC, concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy is the standard for limited disease, while chemotherapy is the treatment for extensive disease. Novel innovative therapies, which could include molecular targeting agents, are needed to treat both NSCLC and SCLC.