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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Estimated New Cases in 2024 234,580

% of All New Cancer Cases 11.7%

Estimated Deaths in 2024 125,070

% of All Cancer Deaths 20.4%

5-Year
Relative Survival

26.7% 2014–2020
Year Rate of New Cases — SEER 8 Rate of New Cases — SEER 12 Death Rate — U.S. 5-Year Relative Survival — SEER 8
Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend
1975 50.79 52.77 - - 42.56 42.77 11.71% 11.88%
1976 53.63 53.64 - - 44.20 44.04 12.88% 12.01%
1977 54.57 54.52 - - 45.49 45.34 13.43% 12.14%
1978 55.67 55.41 - - 46.88 46.69 13.40% 12.26%
1979 57.05 56.33 - - 47.69 48.07 13.24% 12.39%
1980 57.51 57.25 - - 49.41 49.49 12.68% 12.52%
1981 58.87 58.19 - - 49.99 50.38 13.29% 12.65%
1982 59.84 59.15 - - 51.43 51.28 13.30% 12.78%
1983 59.76 60.12 - - 52.40 52.20 13.93% 12.91%
1984 62.24 61.11 - - 53.36 53.14 12.79% 13.04%
1985 61.34 62.11 - - 54.32 54.09 13.38% 13.17%
1986 62.64 63.13 - - 55.04 55.07 12.86% 13.31%
1987 65.32 64.17 - - 56.24 56.05 12.73% 13.44%
1988 65.07 65.22 - - 56.97 57.06 13.08% 13.57%
1989 64.33 66.30 - - 57.90 58.08 13.16% 13.71%
1990 65.19 65.88 - - 58.85 59.13 13.38% 13.84%
1991 65.40 65.46 - - 58.99 59.00 13.74% 13.98%
1992 66.44 65.04 64.64 64.43 58.90 58.87 13.70% 14.12%
1993 64.20 64.63 63.03 63.74 59.13 58.74 14.52% 14.25%
1994 63.52 64.22 61.88 63.05 58.54 58.61 14.02% 14.39%
1995 63.55 63.81 62.46 62.38 58.38 58.49 14.38% 14.53%
1996 63.50 63.41 62.06 61.71 57.91 57.93 14.55% 14.67%
1997 63.65 63.01 61.41 61.05 57.51 57.37 14.47% 14.81%
1998 64.20 62.61 61.74 60.39 57.08 56.82 14.84% 14.95%
1999 62.84 62.21 60.46 59.74 55.42 56.28 15.22% 15.09%
2000 61.36 61.81 58.48 59.10 55.85 55.74 15.47% 15.23%
2001 60.77 61.42 58.14 58.47 55.32 55.21 15.01% 15.37%
2002 61.02 61.03 57.79 57.84 55.00 54.68 15.64% 15.86%
2003 61.27 60.64 57.70 57.22 54.19 54.15 15.95% 16.36%
2004 59.08 60.26 56.03 56.60 53.37 53.63 17.18% 16.87%
2005 59.65 59.88 56.26 56.00 52.85 53.12 17.39% 17.38%
2006 59.03 59.50 55.28 55.40 51.73 51.86 17.46% 17.90%
2007 58.67 58.31 54.86 54.80 50.71 50.63 18.63% 18.42%
2008 56.73 57.14 53.10 53.60 49.59 49.43 19.12% 18.95%
2009 56.66 55.99 53.28 52.42 48.41 48.26 19.84% 19.49%
2010 54.44 54.87 50.71 51.26 47.44 47.11 19.81% 20.03%
2011 53.33 53.77 49.40 50.14 46.09 46.00 20.47% 20.58%
2012 52.86 52.69 48.75 49.03 45.10 44.90 20.14% 21.13%
2013 51.63 51.64 47.40 47.96 43.66 43.84 22.57% 22.69%
2014 50.55 50.60 46.75 46.90 42.48 42.80 23.55% 24.28%
2015 49.67 49.59 46.27 45.87 40.97 40.82 25.36% 25.90%
2016 49.25 48.59 45.55 44.86 38.84 38.92 27.96% 27.55%
2017 48.61 47.62 45.04 43.87 37.08 37.12 - 29.22%
2018 46.34 46.66 42.74 42.91 35.20 35.40 - 30.91%
2019 46.28 45.73 42.51 41.97 33.82 33.75 - 32.61%
2020 39.83 44.81 36.88 41.04 32.19 32.19 - 34.32%
2021 42.68 43.91 38.97 40.14 31.25 31.07 - 36.04%
2022 - - - - 29.91 30.00 - 37.76%

New cases come from SEER 12. Deaths come from U.S. Mortality.
All Races, Both Sexes. Rates are Age-Adjusted.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.
The 2020 incidence rate is displayed but not used in the fit of the trend line(s). Impact of COVID on SEER Cancer Incidence 2020 data

New cases are also referred to as incident cases in other publications. Rates of new cases are also referred to as incidence rates.

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer was 49.0 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 32.4 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2017–2021 cases and 2018–2022 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 5.7 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2018–2021 data, excluding 2020 due to COVID.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2021, there were an estimated 610,816 people living with lung and bronchus cancer in the United States.

Did You Know? Video Series

Survival Statistics

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

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. 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.

26.7%

5-Year
Relative Survival

26.7%

Based on data from SEER 22 (Excluding IL/MA) 2014–2020. 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, 21.6% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized lung and bronchus cancer is 63.7%.

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		 22% 63.7%
Regional
Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes		 21% 35.9%
Distant
Cancer Has Metastasized		 53% 8.9%
Unknown
Unstaged		 5% 15.6%

SEER 22 (Excluding IL/MA) 2014–2020, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Combined Summary Stage

Additional Information

New Cases and Deaths

How Common Is This Cancer?

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

Common Types of Cancer Estimated New
Cases 2024		 Estimated
Deaths 2024
1. Breast Cancer (Female) 310,720 42,250
2. Prostate Cancer 299,010 35,250
3. Lung and Bronchus Cancer 234,580 125,070
4. Colorectal Cancer 152,810 53,010
5. Melanoma of the Skin 100,640 8,290
6. Bladder Cancer 83,190 16,840
7. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer 81,610 14,390
8. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 80,620 20,140
9. Uterine Cancer 67,880 13,250
10. Pancreatic Cancer 66,440 51,750

Lung and bronchus cancer represents 11.7% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

11.7%

In 2024, it is estimated that there will be 234,580 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer and an estimated 125,070 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 rate of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer was 49.0 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2017–2021 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Males
All Races 54.9
Hispanic 31.0
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 53.8
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 41.4
Non-Hispanic Black 66.5
Non-Hispanic White 60.0
Females
All Races 44.8
Hispanic 22.6
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 46.0
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 27.8
Non-Hispanic Black 43.2
Non-Hispanic White 52.2

SEER 22 2017–2021, 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 0.9%
45–54 4.9%
55–64 21.8%
65–74 35.6%
75–84 27.4%
>84 9.2%

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

Median Age
At Diagnosis

71

SEER 22 2017–2021, 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 death rate was 32.4 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2018–2022 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
Males
All Races 38.7
Hispanic 19.4
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 37.0
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 23.7
Non-Hispanic Black 46.7
Non-Hispanic White 41.2
Females
All Races 27.6
Hispanic 11.1
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 30.5
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander 15.0
Non-Hispanic Black 25.9
Non-Hispanic White 31.0

U.S. 2018–2022, 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 0.6%
45–54 3.8%
55–64 19.5%
65–74 33.1%
75–84 29.9%
>84 13.0%

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

Median Age
At Death

73

U.S. 2018–2022, All Races, Both Sexes

Trends in Rates

Changes Over Time

Keeping track 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, age-adjusted rates for new lung and bronchus cancer cases have been falling on average 2.0% each year over 2012–2021. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 4.1% each year over 2013–2022. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival

Interactive Statistics with SEER*Explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can...
  • Create custom graphs and tables
  • Download data and images
  • Share links to results

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

Explore Additional Lung and Bronchus Cancer Statistics

More About This Cancer

Cancer and the Lung

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 SEER*Explorer.

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 SEER*Explorer. 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 SEER*Explorer. In some cases, different year spans may be used.

Estimates of new cases and deaths for 2024 are projections made by the American Cancer Society (ACS), based on earlier reported 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.