Lung carcinomas are malignant tumours that originate primarily in the lungs from surface cells in the airways. In the diagnosis, a differentiation is made between small cell carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) for further treatment. About 80% of all lung cancer cases can be classified as non-small cell lung carcinomas and about 17-20% are small cell carcinomas.¹

Every year, about 3000 men and 2000 women are diagnosed with lung cancer in Austria. Lung carcinoma is thus the third most common malignant cancer in women and the second most common malignant cancer in men in German-speaking countries. In terms of mortality, the relevance of lung cancer is even higher, as about a quarter of all cancer deaths are attributable to lung cancer.¹

Therapy options, depending on the tumour stage, are surgical interventions, radiation therapies and systemic therapies, these are often combined as a multimodal concept. In recent years, the use of new therapeutic approaches and individualised therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of many patients. Treatment options include cytostatics (substances that inhibit cell growth or cell division), angiogenesis inhibitors (substances that suppress the formation of new blood vessels), immune checkpoint inhibitors (drugs that interfere with the immune system) or kinase inhibitors (substances that bind to certain enzymes and inhibit their function), as well as supportive measures.¹

¹ DGHO Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hämatologie und Medizinische Onkologie e.V.. (Ed.). Lung cancer, non-small cell (NSCLC). Onkopedia guideline. (Status July 2021). https://www.onkopedia.com/de/onkopedia/guidelines/lungenkarzinom-nicht-kleinzellig-nsclc/@@guideline/html/index.html (accessed 30.07.2021).