From the Guidelines
The mortality rate for lung cancer is approximately 65.7 per 100,000 men and 39.6 per 100,000 women, with the risk increasing significantly with age and cumulative exposure to tobacco smoke. According to the study by Wender et al. 1, lung cancer mortality rates are similar in magnitude to lung cancer incidence rates due to the high fatality rate from this disease. The age-adjusted death rates per 100,000 men and women were 65.7 and 39.6, respectively. Some key points to consider include:
- The risk of lung cancer mortality increases with age, with the highest rates observed in individuals over 74 years old 1.
- Cumulative exposure to tobacco smoke is a significant risk factor for lung cancer mortality, with the risk increasing by 9.5 times for severe injuries and 52.3 times for extremely severe injuries 1.
- The mortality rate for lung cancer is also influenced by other factors, such as pre-existing comorbidities, with individuals having higher mortality rates if they have conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or respiratory problems 1.
- The overall mortality rate for lung cancer has been declining among men since 1984 and among women since 2003, primarily due to tobacco control efforts leading to lower rates of tobacco use and a reduced incidence of lung cancer 1.
From the Research
Mortality Rates
- The mortality rates for men with prostate cancer were found to be 2.6-fold higher compared to men without prostate cancer 2.
- Men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) but no prostate cancer had slightly lower mortality rates 2.
- A study on hospital mortality data found that the majority of variation in annual hospital death rates is due to chance variability, and risk adjustment methods do not show whether the unexplained difference in mortality rates results from differences in effectiveness of care or unmeasured differences in patient risk at the time of admission 3.
- International trends in type 2 diabetes complications and mortality rates are poorly characterized, but data suggest that high-income countries have experienced declines in cardiovascular complication rates and all-cause mortality in people with diabetes, while low- and middle-income countries have seen increases in cardiovascular complications and mortality rates 4.
- A meta-analysis on COVID-19 found that comorbidities such as cardiometabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are associated with an increased risk of worsened clinical outcome, including mortality 5.
Factors Influencing Mortality Rates
- Comorbidities, such as urinary tract infection, impotence, and breast disorder, can influence mortality rates in men with prostate cancer 2.
- The presence of comorbidities, such as renal or liver disease, can reduce the types of antihyperglycemic therapies available for use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus 6.
- Drug-drug interactions between medications used to treat COVID-19 and medications prescribed for underlying comorbidities can cause adverse drug reactions, contributing to worsening of the clinical outcome, including mortality 5.