Lung Cancer Facts You Should Know

By understanding these surprising facts, we can work towards prevention, early detection, and improved treatment for lung cancer.

1 in 16 people can expect a lung cancer diagnosis

1 of 16 men and 1 of 17 women can expect a lung cancer diagnosis. However, the risk is substantially higher for those with a history of smoking.

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About 1 person every 2 minutes is diagnosed with lung cancer.

An estimated 238,340 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. That’s 653 people each day, 27 people each hour.

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About 1 in 5 women diagnosed with lung cancer today are never-smokers.

Approximately 1 of 5 women diagnosed with lung cancer today are lifelong non-smokers (by contrast, only 1 in 12 men with lung cancer have never smoked)

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Every 4 minutes someone in the United States dies of lung cancer.

That's approximately 356 people each day in the United States

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Lung cancer kills about as many people than breast, colorectal and prostate cancers COMBINED

- yet it only receives 6% of federal research dollars. Federal Funding per death:
Lung - $3,683,
Breast - $17,323
Prostate - $8,501
Colorectal - $6,584

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Lung Cancer Death Rate Trend ⇡102% Women ⇣ 29% Men over the past 39 years.

This trend emphasizes the need to address lung cancer in women and develop effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Signs & Symptoms Source

Other Facts About Lung Cancer You Should Know

Smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer.

Exposure to secondhand smoke, air pollution, radon, and asbestos are also risk factors for lung cancer.

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About 6 of 10 people newly diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked or have quit smoking.

A smoking history or not...early diagnosis can change your odds. Know the sign and symptoms.

Signs You Should Know

Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer - responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year.

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Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer among women... surpassing breast cancer in 1987.

Lung cancer kills about 1.4 times as many women as breast cancer.

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About 1 in 5 women diagnosed with lung cancer today are never-smokers.

Approximately 1 of 5 women diagnosed with lung cancer today are lifelong non-smokers (by contrast, only 1 in 12 men with lung cancer have never smoked)

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About every 9 minutes a woman dies of lung cancer in the U.S.

It’s estimated that about 59,910 American women will die of lung cancer in 2023 — that’s 164 women each day, or about 7 per hour.

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Lung Cancer Death Rate Trend ⇡102% Women ⇣ 29% Men over the past 39 years.

This trend emphasizes the need to address lung cancer in women and develop effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Signs & Symptoms Source

Black Americans who have lung cancer were 19% less likely to receive surgical treatment compared to white Americans.

Know your options when diagnosed with lung cancer.

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Fewer than 1 in 7 lung cancer patients will be diagnosed in the earliest stage, when the disease is most treatable.

The early detection of lung cancer allows for patients to have more treatment options and a far greater chance of survival.

Get screened

Lung Cancer Death Rate Trend ⇡102% Women ⇣ 29% Men over the past 39 years.

This trend emphasizes the need to address lung cancer in women and develop effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Signs & Symptoms Source

If lung cancer is caught before it spreads, the odds of surviving 5 years or more improves to over 60%.

Early detection through low-dose CT screening is the way to find out.

Get screened

Fewer than 1 in 7 lung cancer patients will be diagnosed in the earliest stage, when the disease is most treatable.

The early detection of lung cancer allows for patients to have more treatment options and a far greater chance of survival.

Get screened