With an estimated 173,770 new cases in the year 2004, lung cancer accounts for 13 percent of all new cancer diagnoses and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. More than 90% of lung cancer is due to tobacco smoking. The decline in use of cigarettes over the past 30 years has lead to a reduction in the incidence of lung cancer in men. A reduction in the lung cancer rates among women has been noted in the 1990s due to recent decreases in the number of women smoking.

At the Ireland Cancer Center, new inroads in research, screening, treatment, and prevention are providing greater hope in combating this disease.