Update on lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Lung cancer remains the commonest malignancy in the Western world, causing approximately 35,000 deaths per year in the UK1. The disease has a wide variety of clinical manifestations, can present to almost any specialty, and has an overall five-year survival of only 5.5%. However, a significant minority of patients can be cured, and survival and quality of life can be improved for many patients. All patients should be thoroughly assessed at presentation by a physic ian with extensive clinical experience in lung cancer, usually a respira tory physician or a medical oncologist1.