Population-based study of global variations in lung cancer incidence by histological subtype in 2020

Analysis of data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents volume XI and the African Cancer Registry Network found that in 185 countries and territories in 2020 there were an estimated 2,206,771 new cases of lung cancer. Among the 1,435,943 new cases in males, 39% were adenocarcinoma, 25% were squamous cell carcinoma, 11% were small-cell carcinoma, and 8% were large-cell carcinoma. Among the 770,828 new cases in females, 57% were adenocarcinoma, 12% were squamous cell carcinoma, 9% were small-cell carcinoma, and 6% were large-cell carcinoma. The figure shows the global distribution of the histologic subtypes (A: males; B: females). The incidence rates of adenocarcinoma exceeded those of squamous cell carcinoma in 150 of 185 countries in males and in all 185 countries in females.