LUNG CANCER

disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells in the lungs. Lung cancer was first described by doctors in the mid-19th century. In the early 20th century it was considered relatively rare, but by the end of the century it was the leading cause of cancer-related death among men in more than 25 developed countries. In the United States it has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of death from cancer among women. This rapid increase is due mostly to the increased use of cigarettes since World War I.