Lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide in both men and women. It was a rare disease at the start of the 20th century, but increases in exposure to tobacco smoke and other triggers of the disease have seen rates soar in the 20th and 21st century.
Key data:
- 400,000 deaths each year in the WHO European Region (Lung Facts, 2025)
- 10 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) each year in the WHO European Region. (Lung Facts, 2025)
- €233 billion is the estimated yearly societal economic cost of lung cancer for the WHO European Region. This cost is generated using DALYs and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, to give a cost of the healthy years of life lost to help guide decision-making around health interventions. (Lung Facts, 2025)
- Lung cancer has the highest total cancer-related healthcare costs after colorectal cancer and ahead of breast, colon and prostate cancer. (The Lancet, 2013)
- Incidence of lung cancer is increasing in women. (Lung Cancer, 2012)
- Survival rates are low with an average 5-year survival rate of 13%. (The Lancet Oncology, 2014)