What is the most common lung cancer in the US?

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the Most Common Lung Cancer in the United States

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 80-85% of all lung cancer cases in the United States, making it by far the most common type. 1, 2

Breakdown of Lung Cancer Types

NSCLC Predominance

• NSCLC represents 85-90% of all lung cancers according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2
• Multiple NCCN guidelines consistently report NSCLC accounts for >80-85% of cases 1
• This leaves small cell lung cancer (SCLC) representing fewer than 20% of cases 1

NSCLC Subtypes

Within NSCLC, there are two major histologic categories 1:

Nonsquamous carcinomas:

• Adenocarcinoma is the single most common histologic subtype of lung cancer in the United States 1
• Adenocarcinoma accounts for approximately 40% of all lung cancers 1
• It is the most frequently occurring cell type in nonsmokers 1

Squamous cell (epidermoid) carcinoma:

• Represents approximately 30% of lung cancers 1
• Has the strongest association with tobacco smoking exposure 2, 3

Other subtypes:

• Large-cell carcinoma accounts for 5-10% 1
• Other rare subtypes comprise the remainder 1

Clinical Context

• Smoking is responsible for approximately 80% of all lung cancer cases 2, 3
• Despite NSCLC being more common, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with an estimated 125,070 deaths in 2024 1
• The overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer patients is approximately 25.4%, with adenocarcinoma having a 32.2% 5-year survival rate 1