Tobacco was introduced from Ecuador into Europe in the 1500´s and now after more than four hundred years, lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in Western Europe and in the United States. In the article on “Trends in the Crude Mortality for Cancer of the Lung in Ecuador”, cancer of the stomach (12/100,000/yr) is the leading cause of death from cancer and lung cancer (3.4/100,000/yr) is second. The trends in cancer deaths have been stable except for lung cancer which has increased from 2.7 in 1984 to 3.4 per 100,000 populations in 1993.

This rise is related to an increase in cigarette smoking. This trend will continue unless checked by public education.