Lung Cancer Statistics

When reporting on lung cancer statistics, it is important to present the facts about lung cancer in a logical order. There are two different types of lung cancer, and within each lung cancer type there are varying stages of disease. All of this information affects lung cancer statistics, and it is broken down into sections below:

Lung Cancer Statistics - Overall

• Just over 40 percent of people with lung cancer live at least 1 year after diagnosis.

• Almost 30 percent of people with lung cancer live for at least 2 years after diagnosis.

• Only 15 percent of people with lung cancer live for at least 5 years after diagnosis.

• This year over 215,000 new cases of lung cancer will be discovered.

• Approximately 160,000 people died of lung cancer last year.

• More than 25 percent of all cancer deaths this year will be from lung cancer.

• Lung cancer kills more people than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

• Lung cancer is the 2nd most common type of cancer.

• Lung cancer causes almost 30 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

• Lung cancer accounts for 15 percent of newly diagnosed cancers.

• There are over 400,000 people alive today that have survived lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Statistics - Who Gets It

• Lung cancer is found more frequently in men than in women.

• Lung cancer will strike 1 out of every 13 men.

• Lung cancer will strike 1 out of every 16 women.

• Black men are twice as likely as white men to get lung cancer.

• The average age when diagnosed with lung cancer is 70.

• Two-thirds of people with lung cancer are over 65 years old.

• Patients under 45 make up less than 3 percent of all lung cancer cases.

Lung Cancer Statistics - Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

• Non-small cell lung cancer makes up 85-87 percent of all lung cancers.

• About 40 percent of lung cancers are diagnosed in stages 1-3.

Lung Cancer Statistics - Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage 4

• Stage 4 lung cancer is the most advanced condition of lung cancer.

• Close to 50 percent of all those diagnosed with non-small lung cancer are in Stage 4.

• With chemotherapy, 15-35 percent of stage 4 lung cancer victims live 1 year.

• Without chemotherapy, only 10 percent of stage 4 patients live another year.

• Just 2 percent of stage 4 lung cancer patients are still alive 5 years after diagnosis.

Lung Cancer Statistics - Small Cell Lung Cancer

• Small cell lung cancer is less common, making up 13-15 percent of all lung cancers.

• Most people with small cell lung cancer are heavy smokers.

Lung Cancer Statistics and Smoking

• Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer.

• Smoking is blamed in 85-90 percent of all lung cancer cases.

• Approximately 10 percent of all smokers will eventually get lung cancer.

• Around 15 percent of lung cancer patients have never smoked.