January 1, 1987 - Lung cancer deaths surpass breast cancer for women in the U.S.
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the U.S. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
However, lung cancer research receives far less federal research funding than breast cancer. Sadly, federal funding for lung cancer research per related death was just $1,680 compared to $24,846 for breast cancer, $12,644 for prostate cancer, and $6,344 for colon cancer in 2018.