Lung Cancer: Basic Facts and Figures

The American Cancer Society says that lung cancer is the second most widespread cancer in both women and men (excluding skin cancer). In fact, approximately 13% of all new cases of cancer in the US are lung cancers. In 2019, the ACS estimates that there will be about 228,150 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in American men and women, and 142,670 individuals will lose their lives to the deadly disease.

Unfortunately, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortalities in both genders: every year, more individuals succumb to lung cancer than of prostate, breast, and colon cancers put together.

A man’s lifetime chance of developing lung cancer is approximately 1 in 15, while a woman’s risk is about 1 in 17. And the disease mainly develops in the elderly: most individuals diagnosed with lung cancer are at least 65, with the average age of diagnosis sitting at 70.

There are three major types of lung cancer:

• Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, responsible for about 85% of all cases.
• Small cell lung cancer, aka oat cell cancer, responsible for between 10 and 15% of all lung cancer cases. This iteration of the disease often spreads fast.
• Lung carcinoid tumors are responsible for less than 5% of lung cancer cases. These are also called lung neuroendocrine tumors, and tend to grow at a slow pace and rarely metastasize.

The best way to improve your chances of survival is to catch cancer early. In fact, your chances of surviving non-small cell lung cancer increases by 54% if you catch it before it has spread beyond the lungs.

The Ezra scan only covers the lungs in higher-risk individuals. If your Ezra physician deems it appropriate, you’ll receive a low-dose chest CT at no additional cost.