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In the United States, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer). ¹ The National Cancer Institute predicts that 1 in 12 men and 1 in 18 women will get the disease at some time in their lives. Lung cancer is also the leading cause of death from cancer in the United States .

About 180,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States.¹ About 1 in 8 of all new cancer cases are lung cancer. More Americans die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer combined.

The good news is that lung cancer is becoming less common in men, since a peak in the late 1980s. And figures have leveled off in women. This is probably because fewer people are smoking.²

However, a study of people born since 1950 shows just how quickly such trends may change.³ Researchers found that among people in their 20s and 30s, there were small increases in the number dying from lung cancer. They suggest this may be due to the rise in teenage smoking.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.