The descriptive epidemiology of lung cancer and tobacco control: a global overview 2018

OBJECTIVE: To present the most recent national estimates of lung cancer burden globally in 185 countries and tobacco smoking prevalence (%) by sex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Estimates of lung cancer incidence and mortality for 2018 were extracted from the Globocan database; observed incidence, from the last volume of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, and tobacco prevalence, from the World Health Observatory/WHO database. RESULTS: In 2018, over two million new lung cancer cases and 1.7 million deaths were estimated to occur worldwide, representing 14% of the new cancer cases and 20% of the cancer deaths. Incidence rates showed marked variation between countries. Stable or decreasing incidence rates were predominant among males, while among females increasing rates were common. CONCLUSIONS: The continuing rise in lung cancer among women reinforces the need for strengthening implementation of the preventive actions committed to by governments in the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control.