Lung Cancer

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Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate). An estimated 163,510 deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United States during 2005.
Between 1979 and 2002 lung cancer deaths increased by 60 percent. The age-adjusted death rate for lung cancer in males was 76 percent greater than the rate seen in females. The age-adjusted death rate in the black population was 12 percent greater than the rate in the white population.
Smoking is the most important cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is estimated that 87 percent lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Other causes include radon, asbestos and air pollution.
An estimated 350,679 Americans are living with lung cancer. During 2005 an estimated 172,570 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed.
Men have higher rates of lung cancer than females. In 2002, 77.8 per 100,000 men compared to 50.8 per 100,000 women were diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States. However, lung cancer incidence rates have been significantly decreasing among men while increasing in women.
In 2002, the lung cancer incidence rate in black men was 43% higher than that of white men. Rates were similar among black and white women.
In 2001, Kentucky had the highest age-adjusted lung cancer incidence rates in both males (140.5 per 10,000) and females (73.3 per 100,000). Utah had the lowest age-adjusted cancer incidence rates in both males and females (40.0 per 100,000 and 22.1 per 100,000). These state specific rates were parallel to smoking prevalence rates.
There are two major types of lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is much more common. It usually spreads to different parts of the body more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma are three types of non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer also called oat cell cancer, accounts for less than 20% of all lung cancer.
The expected 5-year survival rate for all patients in whom lung cancer is diagnosed is 15 percent compared to 63 percent for colon, 88 percent for breast and 99 percent for prostate cancer. The 5-year survival rate is 49 percent for cases detected when the disease is still localized. However, only 16 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage. For distant tumors the 5-year survival rate is just over 2 percent.
About 6 out of 10 people with lung cancer die within 1 year of being diagnosed with the disease. Between 7 and 8 will die within 2 years.
An estimated 1 million people worldwide die from lung cancer annually. It is the most common diagnosed cancer but with marked regional variation. Over 3 million people have lung cancer, the majority residing in developed countries.

For more information on lung cancer, please review the Lung Cancer Morbidity and Mortality Trend Report in the Data and Statistics section of our website at www.lungusa.org or call the American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).

Sources:

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures, 2005

National Vital Statistics Report. Deaths: Final Data for 2002. Vol. 53 (5), October 2004.

Alberg AJ and Samet J. Epidemiology of Lung Cancer. Chest. Vol. 123, January 2003.

Ries LAG, Eisner MP, Kosary CL, Hankey BF, Miller BA, Clegg L, Mariotto A, Feuer EJ, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2002, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2002/, based on November 2004 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site 2005.

U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; 2004.

American Cancer Society. All About Lung Cancer, 2004.

World Health Organization. World Health Report, 2004.