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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Estimated New Cases in 2018 234,030

% of All New Cancer Cases 13.5%

Estimated Deaths in 2018 154,050

% of All Cancer Deaths 25.3%

Percent Surviving
5 Years

18.6% 2008-2014
Year New Cases - SEER 9 New Cases - SEER 13 Deaths - U.S. Percent Surviving 5 Years - SEER 9
Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend
1975 52.24 53.37 - - 42.56 42.77 11.50% 11.63%
1976 55.41 54.72 - - 44.20 44.04 12.63% 11.77%
1977 56.69 56.10 - - 45.49 45.34 12.70% 11.91%
1978 57.84 57.52 - - 46.88 46.69 13.07% 12.05%
1979 58.62 58.98 - - 47.69 48.07 12.93% 12.19%
1980 60.65 60.48 - - 49.41 49.49 12.61% 12.34%
1981 62.03 62.01 - - 49.99 50.38 12.79% 12.48%
1982 63.29 63.58 - - 51.43 51.28 13.27% 12.62%
1983 63.45 64.18 - - 52.40 52.20 13.51% 12.77%
1984 65.49 64.79 - - 53.36 53.14 12.68% 12.92%
1985 64.61 65.40 - - 54.32 54.09 13.15% 13.06%
1986 65.77 66.01 - - 55.04 55.06 12.87% 13.21%
1987 67.90 66.64 - - 56.24 56.05 12.82% 13.36%
1988 68.05 67.27 - - 56.97 57.06 13.08% 13.51%
1989 67.56 67.90 - - 57.90 58.08 13.46% 13.66%
1990 68.08 68.54 - - 58.85 59.12 13.37% 13.81%
1991 69.19 69.19 - - 58.99 59.00 13.69% 13.96%
1992 69.46 68.72 67.04 66.78 58.90 58.88 13.95% 14.12%
1993 67.75 68.25 65.72 66.13 59.13 58.76 14.33% 14.27%
1994 67.17 67.79 64.69 65.49 58.54 58.64 14.33% 14.42%
1995 66.85 67.32 64.96 64.86 58.38 58.52 14.63% 14.58%
1996 66.46 66.86 64.37 64.23 57.91 57.94 14.67% 14.74%
1997 66.62 66.41 63.82 63.61 57.51 57.38 14.81% 14.89%
1998 67.55 65.96 64.44 62.99 57.08 56.82 14.72% 15.05%
1999 65.84 65.51 62.89 62.38 55.42 56.26 15.25% 15.21%
2000 64.14 65.06 60.80 61.78 55.85 55.71 15.78% 15.37%
2001 64.15 64.62 60.85 61.18 55.32 55.17 15.09% 15.53%
2002 64.06 64.18 60.32 60.59 55.00 54.63 15.68% 16.00%
2003 64.75 63.74 60.60 60.00 54.19 54.10 16.13% 16.48%
2004 62.24 63.30 58.61 59.42 53.37 53.57 16.91% 16.97%
2005 63.03 62.87 59.04 58.84 52.85 53.05 17.57% 17.46%
2006 62.29 62.44 58.03 58.27 51.73 51.83 17.72% 17.95%
2007 62.08 62.02 57.71 57.71 50.71 50.63 18.46% 18.46%
2008 60.37 60.58 56.10 56.28 49.59 49.46 18.99% 18.97%
2009 59.97 59.18 56.00 54.88 48.41 48.32 19.73% 19.48%
2010 57.69 57.81 53.40 53.52 47.42 47.21 19.39% 20.00%
2011 56.22 56.48 51.80 52.19 46.00 46.12 - 20.52%
2012 55.24 55.17 50.77 50.90 44.94 45.06 - 21.05%
2013 54.03 53.90 49.42 49.64 43.44 43.54 - 21.59%
2014 53.01 52.65 48.69 48.41 42.20 42.08 - 22.13%
2015 50.99 51.43 47.18 47.20 40.62 40.67 - 22.67%

Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.

Number of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The number of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer was 54.6 per 100,000 men and women per year. The number of deaths was 43.4 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2011-2015 cases and deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 6.2 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2013-2015 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2015, there were an estimated 541,035 people living with lung and bronchus cancer in the United States.

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Survival Statistics

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Lung and Bronchus Cancer?

Relative survival statistics compare the survival of patients diagnosed with cancer with the survival of people in the general population who are the same age, race, and sex and who have not been diagnosed with cancer. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

18.6%

Percent Surviving
5 Years

18.6%

Based on data from SEER 18 2008-2014. Gray figures represent those who have died from lung and bronchus cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Additional Information

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier lung and bronchus cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For lung and bronchus cancer, 16.1% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year survival for localized lung and bronchus cancer is 56.3%.

Percent of Cases & 5-Year Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Stage Percent of Cases 5-Year Relative Survival
Localized
Confined to Primary Site		 16% 56.3%
Regional
Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes		 22% 29.7%
Distant
Cancer has Metastasized		 57% 4.7%
Unknown
Unstaged		 5% 7.8%

SEER 18 2008-2014, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Summary Stage 2000

Additional Information

Number of New Cases and Deaths

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, lung and bronchus cancer is fairly common.

Rank Common Types of Cancer Estimated New
Cases 2018		 Estimated
Deaths 2018
1. Breast Cancer (Female) 266,120 40,920
2. Lung and Bronchus Cancer 234,030 154,050
3. Prostate Cancer 164,690 29,430
4. Colorectal Cancer 140,250 50,630
5. Melanoma of the Skin 91,270 9,320
6. Bladder Cancer 81,190 17,240
7. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 74,680 19,910
8. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer 65,340 14,970
9. Uterine Cancer 63,230 11,350
10. Leukemia 60,300 24,370

Lung and bronchus cancer represents 13.5% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

13.5%

In 2018, it is estimated that there will be 234,030 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer and an estimated 154,050 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Lung cancer is more common in men than women, particularly African American men. Smoking is widely recognized as the leading cause of lung cancer. The number of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer was 54.6 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2011-2015 cases.

Number of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Males
All Races 63.8
White 63.9
Black 81.2
Asian/Pacific Islander 45.9
American Indian/Alaska Native 45.4
Hispanic 34.1
Non-Hispanic 67.8
Females
All Races 47.8
White 50.2
Black 47.9
Asian/Pacific Islander 28.0
American Indian/Alaska Native 31.2
Hispanic 23.2
Non-Hispanic 51.3

SEER 18 2011-2015, Age-Adjusted

Percent of New Cases by Age Group: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Age Range Percent of New Cases
<20 0.0%
20-34 0.2%
35-44 1.0%
45-54 7.4%
55-64 21.7%
65-74 33.4%
75-84 26.8%
>84 9.4%

Lung and bronchus cancer is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 65-74.

Median Age
At Diagnosis

70

SEER 18 2011-2015, All Races, Both Sexes

Who Dies From This Cancer?

Death rates for lung cancer are higher among the middle-aged and older populations. Lung and bronchus cancer is the first leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The number of deaths was 43.4 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2011-2015 deaths.

Number of Deaths per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Males
All Races 53.8
White 53.9
Black 65.1
Asian/Pacific Islander 31.2
American Indian/Alaska Native 45.0
Hispanic 26.5
Non-Hispanic 56.3
Females
All Races 35.4
White 36.6
Black 33.5
Asian/Pacific Islander 17.8
American Indian/Alaska Native 30.6
Hispanic 13.3
Non-Hispanic 37.5

U.S. 2011-2015, Age-Adjusted

Percent of Deaths by Age Group: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Age Range Percent of Deaths
<20 0.0%
20-34 0.1%
35-44 0.7%
45-54 6.6%
55-64 20.2%
65-74 31.7%
75-84 28.4%
>84 12.3%

The percent of lung and bronchus cancer deaths is highest among people aged 65-74.

Median Age
At Death

72

U.S. 2011-2015, All Races, Both Sexes

Trends in Rates

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of the number of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, rates for new lung and bronchus cancer cases have been falling on average 2.1% each year over the last 10 years. Death rates have been falling on average 2.7% each year over 2006-2015. 5-year survival trends are shown below.

New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival
View Data Table

More About This Cancer

Cancer and the Lung

Illustration of lungs.
Figure: Respiratory Anatomy
Click to enlarge.
Figure: Respiratory Anatomy

Figure: Respiratory anatomy; drawing shows right lung with upper, middle, and lower lobes; left lung with upper and lower lobes; and the trachea, bronchi, lymph nodes, and diaphragm. Inset shows bronchioles, alveoli, artery, and vein.

There are two main categories of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Each type of non-small cell lung cancer has different of cancer cells, which grow and spread in different ways:

  • Squamous cell carcinoma (also called epidermoid carcinoma).
  • Large cell carcinoma: Cancer that may begin in several types of large cells.
  • Adenocarcinoma: Cancer that begins in the cells that line the alveoli and make substances such as mucus.

Other less common types of non-small cell lung cancer are: pleomorphic, carcinoid tumor, salivary gland carcinoma, and unclassified carcinoma.

There are two main types of small cell lung cancer, again according to cell type: small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer) and combined small cell carcinoma.

Additional Information

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about lung cancer.

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within:

Noone AM, Howlader N, Krapcho M, Miller D, Brest A, Yu M, Ruhl J, Tatalovich Z, Mariotto A, Lewis DR, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Cronin KA (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2015, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2015/, based on November 2017 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2018.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html

These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics, browse the SEER Cancer Statistics Review. To see statistics for a specific state, go to the State Cancer Profiles.

The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in the SEER Cancer Statistics Review. In some cases, different year spans may be used. Estimates for the current year are based on past data.

Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.