The State of Our Health - Men's Health: Lung Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death, and lung cancer the leading cause of death from cancer among both men and women. In 1999, 171,600 cases of lung cancer were reported, and 152,480 people died of the disease, 59% males, 41% females.

Death rates for men have been dropping since about 1990. There are causes other than cigarette-smoking for lung cancer, but cigarette smoking is by far the cause of the disease. A thorough look at smoking is presented in Chapter 4 of this volume. Here we would note the disturbing pattern shown in the graphic for the 1979 to 1998 period. Death rates for males are down but climbing for women. Women have a significantly lower death rate for lung cancer than men — because fewer women smoked. But the use of cigarettes is climbing among women, as we shall show elsewhere.

Detection of lung cancer is difficult, hence survival rates after the onset of the disease are very low. Survival rates are measured by comparing the survival rate of the total population to that of the affected group in increments of five years. Among whites, survival rate was 11.6% of patients in the 1974-1979 period (88.4% died); survival had improved by the 1989-1994 period to 13%. Among blacks, the rate was 9.9% in 1974-1979 and had worsened to 9.7% by 1989-1994, having improved in the intervening period.

Black males have the highest death rate from lung cancer followed by Asians/American Indians, then whites. There is a correlation between the decline in lung cancer death rates and incidence (new cases) of lung cancer, as shown in the inset graphic on the next page. New cases are dropping for each of the major population groups: whites, blacks, and Asians/Pacific Islanders. Decreases in new incidents are greatest for whites, least for Asians as is evident from the graphic.

Lung cancer death rates are highest for those in advanced years. Highest rates are associated with the 75 to 84 age group, next with those aged 85 years and older, and third with those between 65 and 74. This pattern holds for whites and non- whites. Among black males, the 65 to 74 age group has a higher death rate than the 85 and older group.

Lung cancer comes in many forms and survival rates depend on the type of cancer and the stage at which it has been detected. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical interventions are used to control the disease. In the elderly, the interventions can lead to debilitating complications as well.

New Cases of Lung Cancer

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/default.htm, May 29, 2002. Background information obtained from MEDLINEplus at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001566.htm.