Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with approximately 1.8 million people dying from this disease each year. Most patients are diagnosed after symptoms have appeared and the disease has progressed to an advanced stage (Stage III or IV), which explains the current worldwide five-year survival rate of just 20 percent. In contrast, the survival rate for small lung tumors that are treated at Stage 1A is as high as 90 percent. This significant difference highlights a critical need for diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer at the earliest possible stage.
