The Alarming Statistics of Lung Cancer


Lung cancer, like all other types of cancers, results from abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth of the lung tissues. Usually starting in the bronchi tissues, lung cancer can spread to the other parts of the body, such as the other lung, the heart, the diaphragm, the spine, etc. Ultimately, lung cancer leads to suffering primarily due to respiratory complications, and death.

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other cancer organizations show that lung cancer is the leading type of cancer that causes more deaths among both men and women. Because of the lung cancer threat, many people want to know statistical data about lung cancer in order to determine their chances of acquiring the disease, and dying from it.

According to the American Cancer Society, their 2007 statistical data for lung cancer show that about 213,000 people would be diagnosed with lung cancer for this year only. 87 percent of them acquired the disease from cigarette smoking. Men smokers are 23 times more likely to acquire and die from the disease. Women smokers are 12 times more likely to acquire and die from the disease. 3,000 of the total number of lung cancer patients who would die from the disease are non-smokers.

According to CDC, their 2003 statistical data for lung cancer show that this disease caused more deaths in the United States for both men and women than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and recto-colon cancer combined. In 2003, about 105,500 men and about 84,800 women were diagnosed with the disease. About 89,900 men died, while 68,080 women died. In total, 190,300 Americans were diagnosed with lung cancer and 157,980 of them died – an 83 percent fatality rate.

The diagnosis and death rate of lung cancer for men are decreasing. However, the story is different for women. According to the CDC, from 1960 to 1990, the death rate for lung cancer among women increased by about 400 percent. Because of the close relationship between smoking and lung cancer, this data may point out that the number of men smokers in the U.S. Are decreasing, while the number of women smokers are increasing.

Quitting from smoking and avoiding second hand smoke would be a significant development to decrease this alarming statistics of lung cancer.


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