Editorial: Impact of tumor microenvironment on lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. In 2022 the Cancer Statistics Center calculated an estimated four new cases and one death per minute from lung cancer solely in the United States (http://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org). Lung cancer displays poor survival rates caused by recurrence and metastatic spreading. The anatomical and cellular features of healthy lungs that serve respiratory and defensive purposes, restructure during carcinogenesis to give rise to the tumor microenvironment (TME). This tumor-intermingled “organ” that acts in symbiosis with the cancer cells nourishes their aggressiveness and resistance (1), thus representing a target-rich milieu to hunt for anticancer options.