摘要
Mortality from lung cancer has dramatically increased in China over the past 4 decades and investigations into its attributing factors should be designated as one of the highest priorities for its prevention and control. It has been shown that different environmental carcinogens have different particular carcinogenesis pathways in humans, resulting in different kinds of cancer or its histological subtypes in various target organs. Although the distribution of lung cancer is changing in many countries, no papers on its epidemiology in China are available. In the present study, 15 427 male lung cancer patients were identified in Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medial Colleg （CHCAMS-PUMC）. The number of lung cancer patients increased between 2000 and 2012 （Zou et al., Table I）, while the relative frequency of squamous cell carcinoma, a pathological sub-type of lung cancer, consistently decreased, especially in those born after 1961 （Zou et al, Figure 2）. On the other hand, the relative frequency of adenocarcinoma, a pathological sub-type of lung cancer, dramatically increased （Zou et al., Figure 2）. Adenocarcinoma has become the major histological sub-type of lung cancer in the 2011-2012 period （Zou et al., Table 3）. These findings provide important information and clues for the etiology of lung cancer and this specific field needs to be further studied.
Mortality from lung cancer has dramatically increased in China over the past 4 decades and investigations into its attributing factors should be designated as one of the highest priorities for its prevention and control. It has been shown that different environmental carcinogens have different particular carcinogenesis pathways in humans, resulting in different kinds of cancer or its histological subtypes in various target organs. Although the distribution of lung cancer is changing in many countries, no papers on its epidemiology in China are available. In the present study, 15 427 male lung cancer patients were identified in Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medial Colleg （CHCAMS-PUMC）. The number of lung cancer patients increased between 2000 and 2012 （Zou et al., Table I）, while the relative frequency of squamous cell carcinoma, a pathological sub-type of lung cancer, consistently decreased, especially in those born after 1961 （Zou et al, Figure 2）. On the other hand, the relative frequency of adenocarcinoma, a pathological sub-type of lung cancer, dramatically increased （Zou et al., Figure 2）. Adenocarcinoma has become the major histological sub-type of lung cancer in the 2011-2012 period （Zou et al., Table 3）. These findings provide important information and clues for the etiology of lung cancer and this specific field needs to be further studied.
