Clinical effectiveness of first-line chemoradiation for adult patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world and the second most common cancer diagnosed in the UK after breast cancer. In 2008, there were 40,806 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in the UK, with 32,546 in England and 2403 in Wales.(1) Lung cancer is rarely diagnosed in people <40 years of age, and 86% of cases occur in people >60 years.(1) Table 1 provides an overview of lung cancer statistics in the UK. The European age-standardised incidence rate of lung cancer in 2008 was 45.6 per 100,000 population in England and 52.2 per 100,000 population in Wales.(1) The UK incidence rate in men is similar to incidence rates in most of Western Europe and is lower than incidence rates in most of Eastern Europe. 1 The UK incidence rate in women is one of the highest rates in the European Union.(1) There is an increased incidence of lung cancer in individuals from the lowest socioeconomic strata.(2) In 2008, around 65,000 individuals were living with lung cancer in the UK; 1 the majority of these individuals were men.(1)