Lung Cancer

Despite Lung Cancer being the 3^rd most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 13% of all new cancer cases, it is responsible for approximately one fifth (21%) of all UK cancer deaths (2017-2019) making it the most common cause of cancer-associated mortality in the UK.¹

In England, non-age-standardised statistics report 5-year survival rates decrease for patients diagnosed at more advanced stage disease, with 5-year survival for patients diagnosed between 2016 and 2020 reported to be approximately 65% for stage 1, dropping to 5% for stage 4 disease.² The majority of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at late stage, with Stage IV disease being reported in 43% of patients at diagnosis.³

Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reports that 72% of lung cancer cases in the UK are caused by smoking.^1,4

There is variation globally in the proportion of lung cancers in never-smokers, ranging from 10-25%⁵. With smoking prevalence in the UK decreasing (from ~45% in the early 1970s to 14% in 2020)⁶, the relative proportion of lung cancers in the never-smoker population is increasing, with it estimated that nearly 6000 never smokers die of lung cancer in the UK each year.⁵

The introduction of the NHS lung cancer screening programme in 2023⁶ targeted to current or former smokers between the ages of 55 and 74, aims to increase the identification of patients at an earlier stage of disease allowing for timely treatment and more favourable outcomes.⁷

Resources

Patient stories

Hear directly from two inspirational patients sharing their personal journeys with a lung cancer diagnosis.