Update on … Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

A study by Groth et al. (2013) identified the impact of insurance status on the delivery of definitive lobectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One-fifth of an estimated 226,000 cases in 2012 presented with early-stage disease (Siegel, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2012). With appropriate therapy, five-year survival rates can exceed 65%, whereas, without prompt and aggressive intervention, five-year survival plummets to less than 5% (National Cancer Institute, 2010). Healthcare providers must offer access and optimal treatment to this patient population regardless of insurance status.