WORLDWIDE CONTACT US ABOUT US INVENTING FOR LIFE PRODUCTS RESEARCH LICENSING NEWSROOM CAREERS INVESTORS LUNG CANCER has been the most common cancer in the world for several decades. It is the leading cause of cancer death in men in 87 countries and in women in 26 countries. And, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among men and women. % About 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. are thought to result from smoking. The risk for lung cancer among smokers is many times higher than among non-smokers. The longer you smoke and the more packs a day you smoke, the greater your risk. However, each year, approximately 16,000 TO 24,000 AMERICANS DIE OF LUNG CANCER, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NEVER SMOKED. In fact, if lung cancer in nonsmokers had its own separate category, it would rank among the top 10 fatal cancers in the U.S. While smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer, some other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, radon and some workplace substances (i.e., asbestos, arsenic), and family history. Learn more about these risk factors and others at Centers for Disease Control – What are the Risk Factors? WATCH THE VIDEO: "THE STIGMA OF LUNG CANCER" New Cases It is estimated that about 222,500 NEW CASES of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2017 OVERALL, THE CHANCE THAT A MAN WILL DEVELOP LUNG CANCER IN HIS LIFETIME IS ABOUT 1 IN 14; FOR A WOMAN, THE RISK IS ABOUT 1 IN 17 VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC ADDITIONAL RESOURCES . Updated May 2017 Copyright. © 2009-2018 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statement Privacy Terms of Use Site Map