Preface In 1995, the very first issue of the European Respiratory Monograph (ERM) was published, an issue that was dedicated to carcinoma of the lung. Six years later, in 2001, the topic was again in focus and a new ERM on lung cancer appeared. Now it is time for the third ERM on the subject, this time with the title Thoracic Malignancies. As in the two former issues, S.G. Spiro is the Guest Editor, this time together with R.M. Huber and S.M. Janes. Within less than 15 years lung cancer is estimated to be the fifth most common cause of death in the world. This makes the subject of certain importance and, as there has been significant progress as regards diagnosis and treatment of malignant thoracic conditions, there are good reasons for continuous updates. It is therefore a pleasure to introduce a new and extended ERM covering most types of thoracic malignancies. In this issue, a chapter on pre-malignant diseases of the lung has been added, as have three chapters on epidemiology, diagnosis, staging and treatment of mesothelioma. A chapter on functional evaluation for treatment will most likely be useful and much appreciated by physicians who are actively involved in pre- operative evaluation of patients with thoracic malignancies. Adjuvant therapy and novel techniques regarding endobronchial diagnosing and management of neoplasms have been addressed and new achievements in lung cancer biology are presented. I am convinced that this third ERM on thoracic malignancies will supply a felt demand and that it will be very useful for a great number of physicians working in the field. Editor in Chief, K. Larsson Eur Respir Mon, 2009, 44, viii. Printed in UK - all rights reserved. Copyright ERS Journals Ltd 2009 European Respiratory Monograph ISSN 1025-448x. viii