Lung cancer historical perspective

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Yazan Daaboul, M.D.

Overview

Prior to the introduction of cigarette smoking and industrial carcinogens, lung cancer was thought to be a rare disease. Of all tumors detected an autopsy, lung cancer accounted for only 1% of cancers in the 1800s. The majority of cases of lung cancer were associated with occupational hazards due to radon exposure. The association between lung cancer and smoking was not defined until the mid-20th century.

Historical Perspective

• The majority of cases of lung cancer were associated with occupational hazards. Death among miners was reported to be caused by Bergkrankheit (mountain sickness).
• In 1924, radon gas was first reported to be a prominent cause of lung cancer among miners.
• The association between lung cancer and smoking was not defined until the mid-20th century. The first reports between lung cancer and smoking were often confounded by gender, given that men were more likely to be smokers compared to women.
• The 1969 handbook Springer Handbook of Special Pathology is considered the landmark publication that highlighted the role of smoking in the development of lung cancer in over 25 pages.
• Although chemotherapy had always been regarded to be ineffective in the management of lung cancer, cisplatin-based chemotherapy emerged in the 1980s and demonstrated modest efficacy in the reduction of tumor-related symptoms and improvement of quality of life.