Lung cancer epidemiology: evolution over the last twenty years

Lung Cancer is the second most common cancer in the world but the leading cause of cancer death for both sexes in many countries. Nearly 53,000 new cases were expected in France in 2023, representing 12% of all new cases of cancer, and 33,000 deaths were reported in 2018, representing 21% of all cancer deaths. The KBP studies conducted by the College of General Hospital Pulmonologists (CPHG) for 20 years constitute an excellent barometer of the evolution of the Lung Cancer in France. Lung Cancer is becoming more feminine but still remains a male cancer with a narrowing gap between the two sexes: 65,4% of incident cases are men in the overall population in 2020 but only 58,9% among young subjects (<50 years old). The average age at diagnosis is increasing (67.8 years). The most common histological subtype is adenocarcinoma. Smoking remains the main risk factor but the proportion of non-smokers is increasing (12,6%) due to the impact of air pollution, passive smoking and the aging of the population. The impact of COVID-19 on Lung Cancer mortality in 2020 was significant. Despite the diagnosis which remains mostly late in France, there has been a significant improvement in the prognosis over the past twenty years (reduction in early mortality and increase in median survival) due to therapeutic progress.