Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer worldwide and causes more deaths than breast, colorectal and cervical cancers combined. The five-year survival rate for lung cancer in the UK is approximately 15%. Over many years, lung cancer has failed to attract the attention and resources given to other cancers; it has also been stigmatised by a culture of blame, attributable to the sufferer because of smoking. Anyone can develop lung cancer, and between 15% and 20% of people with this diagnosis have never smoked. Many patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at late stages; therefore, early detection is pivotal to improving their survival. Dentists and their teams could potentially play a role in the public perception, prevention and detection of lung cancer.

肺癌是全球范围内导致癌症死亡的主要原因，其死亡人数超过乳腺癌，结肠直肠癌和宫颈癌的总和。在英国，肺癌的五年生存率约为15％。多年来，肺癌一直未能引起其他癌症的关注和资源。吸烟者也将其归咎于受害文化。任何人都可能患上肺癌，并且有15％至20％的确诊者从未吸烟。许多肺癌患者被诊断为晚期。因此，早期检测对于提高其生存率至关重要。牙医及其团队可能在公众认识，预防和发现肺癌方面发挥作用。