Key Statistics for Lung Cancer How common is lung cancer? Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer ). In men, prostate cancer is more common, while in women breast cancer is more common. About 14% of all new cancers are lung cancers. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for lung cancer in the United States for 2018 are: - About 234,030 new cases of lung cancer (121,680 in men and 112,350 in women) About 154,050 deaths from lung cancer (83,550 in men and 70,500 in women) Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon , breast, and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer mainly occurs in older people. Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older, while a very small number of people diagnosed younger than 45. The average age at the time o...