[Epidemiology of lung cancer].

In 2005 approximately 45,000 people contracted lung cancer in Germany and at the same time a total of 40,641 patients died from the disease, making lung carcinoma the most frequent cause of tumor death in men. The peak age for the disease is between 70 and 85 years. The main risk factor of inhaling tobacco smoke is responsible for 85% of the cases of lung cancer. There is a direct correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked and the risk of developing lung cancer. Screening programs, e.g., low-dose computed tomography, are currently undergoing clinical assessment worldwide, but at the present time are not yet being comprehensively established.