Lung Cancer Stats

Lung cancer stats can help you understand the risks and chances of beating your lung cancer.

Lung cancer stats can tell you your chances of getting lung cancer and your chances of surviving that cancer if you get it. For example, one out of every fourteen people will discover they have lung cancer sometime in their lifetime. The chances of getting lung cancer go way up if you are a smoker. Eighty to ninety percent of lung cancer cases are found to be related to cigarette smoking.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in the US and around the world. Twenty years ago, breast cancer deaths were more common in women than lung cancer but, because of smoking in women, lung cancer deaths are more common.

About 215,000 people are found to have lung cancer every year. About 160,000 people will die every year from lung cancer. This means that most people who have lung cancer die from it, although people with cancer that has not spread anywhere in the body or to lymph nodes have about half a chance of living after five years of having lung cancer.

About 219,000 individuals have lung cancer diagnosed each year. Over 103,000 of them are women and about 116,000 are men. Lung cancer causes 28 percent of all deaths related to cancer each year. Half of all lung cancers happen in people who were once smokers and quit smoking. Of those who have never smoked, radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall.

More people who have never smoked die from having lung cancer than those who have AIDS, ovarian cancer or liver cancer. The rate of lung cancer deaths in men has been going down, while the rate of lung cancer deaths in women is going up. African Americans sustain the highest incidence of lung cancer within their race and have the highest rate of death. Unfortunately, less money is being spent on research of lung cancer than there is on other cancers. Only $1400 dollars are spent per lung cancer death when compared to $14000 spent per breast cancer death.

Facts about Lung Cancer Stages

The lung cancer stats related to death from lung cancer depend on the stage of the cancer. The degree of spread of the lung cancer determines the lung cancer stage. Higher stages of lung cancer mean you have a greater chance of dying from the lung cancer.

If you have stage 1 lung cancer, the lung cancer stats are quite good. You have a 49 percent chance of being alive after five years with treatment. If you have stage 2 lung cancer, you have about a 20 percent chance of being alive after five years of treatment.

The numbers go down with stage 3 and stage 4 lung cancer. Stage 3 lung cancer gives you a survival rate of 10-15 percent after five years. Less than 2 percent of patients with stage 4 cancer survive after five years. You need to know that each person is unique and you always have the chance of beating the odds given to you.

Lung Cancer Statistics by Type of Cancer

There are two main types of lung cancer. Small cell cancer is the most serious type of cancer. Fewer than two percent of people are alive after five years of having the cancer. The average lifespan of someone who has this cancer is less than a year.

Non-small cell cancer is slightly less deadly. More patients survive more than one year than with small cell cancer. Non-small cell cancers include squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma. These types of cancer are not as serious a small cell cancer.

More rare types of cancer are carcinoid cancer of the lung and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is commonly caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is an industrial insulation that can be accidentally breathed into the lungs, causing a special type of lung cancer. Asbestos is banned in newer buildings and must be removed from older buildings.

Lymphoma is another type of lung cancer that affects the lymph nodes inside the lungs. Lymphoma is not as deadly as most other types of lung cancer. Lymphoma is treated with chemotherapy and radiation. It is hardly ever treated with surgery.

The lung cancer stats are all based on treated lung cancer. If you decide not to treat your lung cancer, you may die within a few months. In the case of small cell cancer, you may die within a few weeks.

Written by Dr. Christine Traxler
6 20 09
Reviewed by Susan McCracken
6 27 09