Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2024

Lung cancer is the most common cancer type and the most common cause of cancer death in the world. The most recent global estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) indicate that in 2022 almost 2.5 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer and more than 1.8 million people died from the disease. Lung cancer causes more than twice as many deaths as colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer death.

The enormous burden of lung cancer obscures the fact that most cases are avoidable. The principal risk factor for developing lung cancer remains tobacco smoking, which is responsible for approximately 85% of all cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Other common causes include exposure to contaminants such as second-hand tobacco smoke, outdoor and indoor air pollution, diesel engine exhaust, welding fumes, and asbestos.

IARC researchers are working to understand how lung cancer develops, which policies are effective in reducing lung cancer incidence and mortality, and how to improve early detection of lung cancer in people who have developed the disease. Recent examples of this work include a study of how co-exposures to causes of lung cancer affect the risk of cancer development and a study on the potential impact of banning tobacco sales to younger generations.

Visit the IARC website or IARC social media accounts throughout November to learn more about the global burden of lung cancer and the research that IARC and partners are conducting to prevent more people from developing or dying from this disease.

View the IARC account on X

View the IARC account on LinkedIn

Read the news item “Lung cancer risks associated with occupational exposure to pairs of five lung carcinogens”

Read the news item “Banning the sale of tobacco to young generations could significantly reduce lung cancer mortality”

View infographic