Response to: Estimated direct costs of non‐small cell lung cancer by stage at diagnosis and disease management phase: A whole‐disease model

摘要

Lung cancer has evidently drawn great attention from a variety of experts from many clinical related specialties in recent years including those in health administration departments. As is already known, non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is predominant, accounting for approximately 85% of all lung cancers.1 It is a global concern and is the first cause of cancer‐related death among males, and second among females. Unfortunately, the majority of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at a progressive stage when surgical treatment is urgently required.2 In China, we are also faced with increasing lung cancer morbidity and ensuring patients receive surgical treatment in a timely manner via novel management. According to the eighth edition of the TNM lung cancer stage classification revealed in 2017,3 five‐year survival rate declines dramatically both clinically and pathologically in patients diagnosed with stage I to stage IV. It is therefore crucially important to intervene scientifically at an early stage, which is also reflected in the eighth edition TNM lung cancer stage classification where stage I has been divided into four subtypes. This also provides a cost‐effective suggestion for clinicians and administrators.