68 - Lung cancer

Summary

This category is a sub-category of All cancer deaths (see Map 7). Lung cancer is the second most common specific cause of death of men aged between 45 and 74 after heart disease. It is the third most common cause for women aged 50–74.

See also Map 61 Other neoplasms.

Smoking is strongly linked to deprivation. The map shows a north–south gradient with lower rates in the south. Scotland, and particularly Glasgow, has the highest rates; Scotland also has the highest smoking rates. Clusters are found in Liverpool and Manchester, in Tyneside and along the north east coast, and in central London. Within central London, the neighbourhoods covering the cities of Westminster and London, and Kensington and Chelsea – more affluent areas – have lower rates than their neighbours. The maps for male and female deaths are similar, except for higher rates for men in the West Midlands.

This category includes cancer of the lung and the bronchi, the airways of the lungs. It accounts for more than one in 20 of all deaths in the period covered in this atlas (1981 to 2004 inclusive).

The musicians George Melly and George Harrison died of lung cancer.

Most lung cancer is caused by smoking. Lung cancer has been more common in men as traditionally they have had higher rates of smoking. However, as rates of smoking in women increased so did their rates of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease. It is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and has one of the lowest survival outcomes of any form of cancer.