[Epidemiology of lung cancer].

This articles aims to review epidemiological aspects related to lung cancer (LC). The risk factors for LC are external factors and host factors. One can note an increasing incidence of LC in women, related to considerable increase of smoking habits in this group. Mortality by LC is related to number of cigarettes smoked daily and how deep the smoke is inhaled. Air pollution and occupational factors increase the LC risk among industrial workers. Pre-existing lung diseases (pulmonary fibrosis, COPD or bronchial asthma) can increase the risk for LC. There are also genetic factors involved in LC. Carcinogenesis is a multi-stage process. In each stage exogenous and endogenous factors are involved, determining mutations on the dominant oncogenes and on genes suppressing tumor appearance.