For decades, lung cancer has been one of the top cancer-related morbidity and mortality reasons and is the third most common cancer site (after prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women) (Fig. 1) [3]
In 2021, lung cancer was responsible for the most cancer deaths in the United States, with approximately 132,000 deaths—nearly three times the 53,000 deaths due to colorectal cancer, the second most common cause of cancer death [2]. International variation in lung cancer rates and trends is defined by smoking prevalence, environmental risk factors, and availability of early screening (Fig. 2) [3].
New diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are appearing, and with new drugs becoming available every year, we have seen improvement in survival rate and quality of life.
© PSI, 1995 – 2021. All rights reserved
From 2014 to 2018, the number of new lung cancer cases decreased by 2.8% in men and 1.5% in women. Survival rates for NSCLC also improved from 26% in patients diagnosed in 2001 to 35% among those diagnosed in 2014. In contrast, mortality from SCLC declined significantly because of decreased incidence, with no improvement in survival [4].
Incidence and death rates vary widely worldwide due primarily to the geographic differences in tobacco use, the most significant lung cancer risk factor. Therefore, while planning a clinical trial, sponsors and their partners should consider the distribution of risk factors when selecting participating countries.
Fig. 1. Distribution of incidence and mortality for the top 10 prevalent cancers in 2020 (both sexes). From: Sung H. et at, 2021. [3]
Fig. 2. Region-specific incidence rates of lung cancer in 2020. From: Sung H. et at, 2021. [3]