Summary In summary, the literature on the psychosocial impact of lung cancer on the patient and family has been reviewed. While more information is available on the psychologic aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of the patient, there is a paucity of data about the impact on the family. Furthermore, no information was found regarding the impact of the rapidly increasing incidence of lung cancer among women. One can only hypothesize that an illness with such a short trajectory has a different impact than a longer chronic illness such as breast cancer. Perhaps some of the information about the impact of breast cancer pertains to women with lung cancer, but comparison studies are needed. Additionally, there is no information about the psychologic impact of the fact that smoking causes lung cancer. While one study found that over half of the lung cancer patients studied attributed the cause of their cancer to smoking or noxious fumes and chemicals,46 no study was found that addressed the impact of this attribution on the patient's emotional status or interpersonal relationships with significant others. Based on this review it seems evident that the psychosocial impact of lung cancer is a fertile ground for further nursing research.