Important Facts about Lung Cancer - Thesis Example

This research paper seeks to gather as much information as possible about the disease in the hope of understanding and avoiding its pitfalls. The latest statistics officially made available in 2005 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women. In 2005, there were more deaths registered for this disease than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer combined. Of the estimated 107,000 men and 89,000 women diagnosed with lung cancer, 90,000 men and 69,000 women died from the disease.

The CDC also revealed that lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer among white, black, Asian, American Indian, and Hispanic men. It is also the second most common form of cancer among white, black, and American Indian women, and the third most common cancer among Hispanic women. The American Cancer Society also revealed its statistical figures on cancer. They revealed that lung cancer represents about 15% of all newly diagnosed cancers, and this year, they estimated that there will be about 219,000 new cases of lung cancer in the United States.

These are almost double the figures based on the previous 2005 numbers. They also established that this disease is primarily seen in older patients, with about 2 out of 3 lung cancer patients aged 65 years old and above; only 3% of cases fall below the 45 age range. On average, the age of patients diagnosed with lung cancer is 71 years old.  There is a 1 in 13 chance that a man will develop lung cancer and a 1 in 16 chance that a woman will develop the disease (American Cancer Society “Cancer Reference Information”).  Both smokers and non-smokers are represented in the above probability rates; however, smokers do have a higher risk of acquiring the disease as compared to non-smokers.  The ACS figures also reveal that Black men have a higher chance of developing this disease as compared to white men (“Cancer Reference Information”).