Lung Cancer Fact Sheet
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3Lung Cancer
Fact Sheet
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Lung cancer, a cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages,
has
traditionally been classified into two major types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung
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cancer (SCLC).
About 85 percent of all lung cancers are identified as non-small cell, and approximately 75
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percent of these are metastatic, or advanced, at diagnosis.
NSCLC can be further categorized into distinct
subsets that are classified by a number of factors, including histology and the molecular makeup of the tumor.
Facts and Figures
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Worldwide in 2012, an estimated 1.8 million new cases of lung cancer were expected to be diagnosed,
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accounting for approximately 13 percent of total cancer diagnoses.
In the United States, an estimated
221,200 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2015, accounting for approximately 13
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percent of total cancer diagnoses.
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide
with an estimated 1.6 million deaths each
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year.
An estimated 158,040 deaths from lung cancer are expected to occur in the U.S. in 2015,
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accounting for about 27 percent of all cancer deaths.
Globally, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and the second most
common in women.
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More people die of lung cancer in the U.S. than of colon, breast and prostate cancers
combined.
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Since 1987, more women in the U.S. have died each year from lung cancer than from breast cancer.
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Risk Factors
Lung cancer affects a diverse group of people, including the young and non-smokers.
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Some lung cancer risk factors may include:
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Smoking cigarettes or cigars
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Exposure to second-hand smoke, asbestos, radon, chromium, arsenic, soot or tar
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Treatment with radiation therapy to the breast or chest
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Personal or family history of the disease
Historically, smoking was seen as the major risk factor in developing lung cancer. While smoking is a
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significant factor, about 10 to 15 percent of lung cancers in the U.S. are unrelated to smoking.
Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until the disease has already reached an advanced stage.
Even when symptoms do appear, they are often mistaken for other health problems.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
NSCLC is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the lung. NSCLC is a difficult disease to
treat, particularly in the metastatic or advanced setting (Stage IIIB/IV). In these patients, the five-year
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survival rate is only 5 percent.
Historically, NSCLC has been categorized by histology to include adenocarcinoma, squamous cell
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carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
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Adenocarcinoma, which accounts for about 40 percent of NSCLC cases, is usually found in the
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outer region of the lung.
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Squamous cell carcinoma, which accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of all NSCLC cases, tends to
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be located in the middle of the lungs, and is more often linked to a history of smoking.
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Large cell carcinoma, which accounts for about 10 to 15 percent of NSCLC cases, may appear in
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any part of the lung and tends to grow and spread quickly.
Previously thought of as one disease, doctors now understand that there are different types of lung cancer,
which can be driven by different biomarker profiles. Biomarker testing, which is usually determined by
testing tumor samples, can help doctors diagnose patients more accurately and guide their treatment
decisions.
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The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines
recommend (category 1) that
metastatic NSCLC that is determined by histology to be adenocarcinoma or not otherwise specified (NOS)
undergo biomarker testing for EGFR mutations and ALK gene rearrangements.*
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May 2015
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