Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 14 % of all lung cancers. It is initially sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but resistance tends to develop rapidly, which leads to high recurrence rates. Outcomes with second-line treatments are poor, with 5-year survival rates of only 5 %.

As patients with node-negative early lung cancer might be ideal candidates for sublobar resection, predictors of pathological node-negative disease were investigated in a cohort of patients with clinical stage IA NSCLC [1]. These included 502 patients with adenocarcinoma and 100 with squamous cell carcinoma from four institutions.

As patients with node-negative early lung cancer might be ideal candidates for sublobar resection, predictors of pathological node-negative disease were investigated in a cohort of patients with clinical stage IA NSCLC [1]. These included 502 patients with adenocarcinoma and 100 with squamous-cell carcinoma from four institutions.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Only 16 % of patients survive for 5 years, compared to 89 % with breast cancer and almost 100 % with prostate cancer. Likewise, only 16 % of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed before the disease has spread (vs. 60 % with breast cancer and 90 % with prostate cancer).

The treatment of lung cancer has advanced considerably in the last few years. Which of these advances would you deem most important from the clinical point of view? 

Binding of the inhibitory receptor PD-1 to its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, inhibits T-cell responses. This pathway can be exploited by tumours to escape T-cell-induced anti-tumour activity. Therefore, it is a target for antibodies designed to block this mechanism, with the aim of enhancing immune responses.

What changes in practice have been brought about by the recent advances in the treatment of lung cancer?

Squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung represents approximately 30 % of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. Until 2015, docetaxel and erlotinib were the only approved second-line treatment options in these patients. Typically, squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung has a high burden of somatic mutations and genomic alterations.

Dear Colleagues, Oncologists are currently witnessing rapid diagnostic and therapeutic advances in their field. These advances require that physicians are up-to-date regarding the ever-changing standards of care. With the present publication, we hope to contribute to this goal, by summarising recent findings in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, as presented at the European Cancer Congress (ECC) that took place in Vienna, from 25th–29th September, 2015.