Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths than any other cancer among Americans. More people die from lung cancer than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined'about 150,000 deaths in 2018, according to the Cancer Research Institute.
But lung cancer deaths, particularly from non-small cell lung cancer, which occurs more commonly in non- and never-smoking patients, are decreasing. These improvements in mortality are likely due to lower incidence overall and critical advances in treatment, particularly targeted therapies, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Mortality from small cell lung cancer, which occurs almost exclusively in smokers, has declined almost completely as incidence continues to dwindle, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
The bottom line: Fewer people are being diagnosed with lung cancer and those who are diagnosed are more likely to survive longer, said Xiuning Le, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, according to Cancer Therapy Advisor.
Vamsidhar Velcheti, M.D., director of thoracic medical oncology at New York University's Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, said that lung cancer treatment has made tremendous strides in the last four years, according to Healthline. Velcheti credited targeted therapies and immunotherapies for the improvements.
Targeted therapies use specific drugs to attack certain types of cancer cells, disrupting the signals that cause them to grow, according to Lungevity. Immunotherapies alter the body's immune system to target and destroy cancer, according to Oncology Nurse Advisor.
According to the Cancer Research Institute, recent clinical studies have shown that patients treated with immunotherapies, either alone or concurrently with other therapies, showed significant improvements. As a result of these clinical trials, the FDA approved more immunotherapy treatment options for lung cancer patients, including immunotherapy, as a first-line option instead of a secondary option after conventional treatments.
As more is understood about lung cancers, researchers are optimistic that physicians will be able to continue to refine and personalize lung cancer treatments for individual patients, according to Healthline.
