CDC Data & Statistics | Feature: Rates of New Lung Cancer Cases

Rates of New Lung Cancer Cases
Lung cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer in both men and women. Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.


Chart: Lung Cancer Incidence Rates by Gender, United States. Rates are per 100,000 persons and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups – Census P25-1130). Men: 82.7; Women: 55.0.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and it is estimated that smoking is the principle cause of about 90% of lung cancer in men and almost 80% in women. Smoking also can contribute to cancer of the voicebox (larynx), mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia.

In the United States in 2006 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), 106,374 men and 90,080 women were told they had lung cancer, and 89,243 men and 69,356 women died from it.

The graph shows how many people out of 100,000 got lung cancer in 2006; this is called the incidence rate.* The lung cancer incidence rates are grouped by race and ethnicity and gender.

Among men, black men were diagnosed with lung cancer most often, followed by white, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic men. Overall, 82.7 out of every 100,000 men were told they had lung cancer in 2006.

Among women, white women had the most new cases of lung cancer, followed by black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women. Overall, 55.0 out of every 100,000 women were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006.

Prevention

You can reduce your risk of developing lung cancer in several ways.

* Don't smoke. If you do smoke, quit now.
* Avoid secondhand smoke. There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure.
* Have your home tested for radon and take corrective actions if high levels are found.
* Avoid unnecessary medical tests that involve X-ray images of the chest.
* Follow health and safety guidelines in the workplace and avoid exposures to substances known to cause lung cancer (such as asbestos, arsenic, chloromethyl ethers, chromium, nickel, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).



Data source:

U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2006 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report [Cancer - NPCR - USCS - View Data Online].

Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2010. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.

CDC Data & Statistics | Feature: Rates of New Lung Cancer Cases
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