Global variations in lung cancer incidence by histological subtype in 2020: a population-based study

A new study – a collaboration between the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Guangdong Medical University (China) – quantifies for the first time the global burden of lung cancer incidence for the four main histological subtypes, documenting the substantial variations across world regions and their constituent countries. The study was published in The Lancet Oncology.

Globally, there were an estimated 2 206 771 new cases of lung cancer in 2020: 1 435 943 in males and 770 828 in females. Among males, an estimated 560 108 (39%) of all lung cancer cases were adenocarcinoma, 351 807 (25%) were squamous cell carcinoma, 163 862 (11%) were small-cell carcinoma, and 115 322 (8%) were large-cell carcinoma. Among females, an estimated 440 510 (57%) of all lung cancer cases were adenocarcinoma, 91 070 (12%) were squamous cell carcinoma, 68 224 (9%) were small-cell carcinoma, and 49 246 (6%) were large-cell carcinoma.

A novel finding from this study is the extent to which adenocarcinoma now leads as the most common subtype of lung cancer globally in 2020; among females, the incidence rates of adenocarcinoma exceeded those of squamous cell carcinoma in all 185 countries and territories studied. In addition to changes in smoking prevalence and cigarette composition causing a transition in the epidemiological profile of lung cancer, there is accumulating evidence of causal mechanisms linking air pollution to risk of adenocarcinoma.

With this more granular assessment of global lung cancer patterns, this study seeks to facilitate the implementation of tailored approaches to the reduction of the burden of this highly preventable disease.

Zhang Y, Vaccarella S, Morgan E, Li M, Etxeberria J, Chokunonga E, et al.
Global variations in lung cancer incidence by histological subtype in 2020: a population-based study
Lancet Oncol, Published online 11 October 2023;
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00444-8