Lung Cancer

More than 87% of lung cancers are smoking related. However, not all smokers develop lung cancer. Quitting smoking reduces an individual's risk significantly, although former smokers remain at greater risk for lung cancer than people who never smoked. Exposure to other carcinogens such as asbestos and radon gas also increases an individual's risk, especially when combined with cigarette or cigar smoking.

• More Americans die each year from lung cancer than from breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined.
• Approximately 172,570 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2005, accounting for 13% of all new cancer cases.
• An estimated 163,510 Americans will die in 2005 from lung cancer, accounting for 28% of all cancer deaths.
• Annually, lung cancer kills more men than prostate cancer and more women than breast cancer.
• While overall cancer incidence rates are declining, lung cancer incidence rates among women continue to rise.
• Between 1960 and 1990, deaths from lung cancer among women increased by more than 400%.
• An estimated 79,560 women in the U.S. will die this year from lung cancer.
• An estimated 93,010 men in the U.S. will die this year from lung cancer.
• Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among African American men and women, and kills more African Americans than any other cancer.