Statistics and on going research into Lung Cancer
There is a lot of ongoing research into lung cancer, including its causes, symptoms, development and cure.
Death Rates
- Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for more than 20% of deaths, with more than 75% aged 65 or older.
- In 2008, about 35,260 people in the UK died from lung cancer alone, that's around 95 people every day. The death toll crossed 250 thousand in the EU and 1.38 million globally in the same year.
Causes of lung cancer
- The link between tobacco and cancer was established more than 50 years ago. Smoking causes almost 90% of lung cancer deaths.
- In Britain, around 1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes. Less than 1% of 11 and 12 year olds in England are smokers, but this rises to 15% by age 15 despite the fact that it is illegal to sell any tobacco product to under 18s.
- Stopping smoking before middle age avoids most of the risk of smoking-related lung cancer.
- Living with someone who smokes, increases risk of lung cancer in non-smokers by about a quarter. It is estimated that exposure to passive smoke in the home causes around 11,000 deaths every year in the UK from lung cancer, stroke and ischemic heart disease.
- Radon is a naturally occurring gas that increases risk of lung cancer, especially among smokers.
- A small proportion of lung cancer cases are caused by heavy exposure to industrial carcinogens and air pollutants, including diesel exhaust, asbestos, non-ferrous metals, silica, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.
Lung cancer statistics
|
Lung cancer - UK |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
|
Number of new cases (UK 2008) |
22,846 |
17,960 |
40,806 |
|
Incidence rate per 100,000 population* |
59.4 |
38.8 |
47.8 |
|
Number of deaths (UK 2008) |
19,868 |
15,393 |
35,261 |
|
Mortality rate per 100,000 population* |
51.0 |
32.0 |
40.3 |
|
One-year survival rate (adult patients diagnosed 2004-2006, England) |
27% |
30% |
-% |
|
Five-year survival rate (adult patients diagnosed 2001-2006, England) |
7% |
9% |
-% |
*age-standardized to the European population