Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in men (after prostate cancer) and women (after breast cancer) and represents about 15% of all newly diagnosed cancers.
Most of the lung cancer statistics include both of these types (small cell and non-small cell).
The most recent estimates from the American Cancer Society for lung cancer in the United States for 2009 state:
- About 219,440 new cases of diagnosed lung cancer (116,090 men and 103,350 women).
- There will be an estimated 159,390 lung cancer deaths (88,900 men and 70,490 among women), representing approximately 28% of all cancer deaths.
Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among men and women. More people die from lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.
Lung cancer occurs mostly in older people. Approximately 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 65 years and less than 3% of the cases are in people under 45 years. The average age at diagnosis is about 71.
In general, the probability that a man developing lung cancer in his lifetime is 1 in 13 – for a woman, the risk is 1 in 16. These figures include both smokers and nonsmokers. For smokers, the risk is much higher, while for non-smokers, the risk is less.
Black men are approximately 40% more likely to develop lung cancer than whites. The rate is approximately the same in black and white women. Both women (black and white) have lower rates than men, but the gap is closing. The lung cancer rate among men has declined for several years and is fairly stable among women.
Lung cancer statistics on survival vary depending on the stage of cancer when diagnosed.
Despite the bleak outlook of lung cancer, some people are healed. There are more than 400,000 people alive today that were once diagnosed with lung cancer.