Lung Cancer Research Highlights

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women
in the United States. Our research program has played a role in many of the prevention, screening, and treatment advances that save lives from lung cancer today. And, we continue to fund research to help save even more lives in the future.

Survival After a Diagnosis of Lung Cancer Has Improved, Yet More People Die from Lung Cancer Than Any Other Type

Over the past 20 years, there have been exciting improvements in survival after a diagnosis of lung cancer. In the mid1990s, 5-year relative survival was 15%, and between 2014 to 2020 it increased to 27%. These improvements may be related to:

Diagnoses made at an earlier stage than they used to be, and earlier stages tend to be less complicated to treat.
Advances in treatment such as targeted therapies.

Despite this progress, smoking is still responsible for most deaths from lung cancer.

The Health Benefits of Stopping Smoking

15%

decreased risk for developing lung cancer 5 years after a person stops smoking compared to if they had continued to smoke

50%

decreased risk for developing lung cancer 10 to 15 years after a person stops smoking compared to if they had continued to smoke

50%+

decreased risk of dying from lung cancer within the first 10 years after quitting smoking compared to people who continue to smoke

Sources: Smoking Cessation. A Report of the Surgeon General Full Report, 2020 and The US Tobacco Atlas

Strong Tobacco Control in the US Averts 4M Deaths from Lung Cancer

From 1970 to 2022 almost 4 million expected deaths from lung cancer did not occur in the United States due to huge decreases in smoking, driven by tobacco control.

Read all about it

Support for Quitting Smoking

50% to 60%

increase in the chances of quitting smoking when using nicotine replacement therapy compared to trying to quit without medication

states with some level of free counseling and smoking cessation medicines for Medicaid recipientts (See map.)

Map: Medicaid Coverage for Smoking Cessation
Text Alternative

US map with light blue, dark blue, and aqua states

Source: The US Tobacco Atlas

Text Alternative for Map: Medicaid Smoking Cessation Coverage in the US, June 2024

Medicaid coverage for smoking cessation programs varies by state.

For these states, Medicaid covers counseling for individuals, groups, and by telephone, and all 7 FDA-approved smoking-cessation medications:

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Indiana

Illinois

Louisiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Maine

Massachusetts

Missouri

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Rhode Island

Texas

Virginia

Wisconsin

South Carolina

For these states, Medicaid covers at least 1 type of counseling and at least 1 FDA-approved tobacco cessation medication:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Delaware

Florida

Hawaii

Idaho

Iowa

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

Washington

West Virginia

Wyoming

For these states, Medicaid does not cover any type of counseling or FDA-approved tobacco cessation medication:

Georgia

Nevada

Our US Tobacco Atlas Provides an Interactive Platform to Bring Us Closer to a World Where No One Has Cancer Because of Tobacco

The ACS US Tobacco Atlas provides a state-by-state snapshot of where we stand and what we can do to close gaps in tobacco control. The Atlas provides compelling visuals and evidence that we can use in research, advocacy, public health, and community engagement.

Nigar Nargis, PhD

Senior Scientific Director, Tobacco Control Research

American Cancer Society

Go to the US Tobacco Atlas

Risk & Prevention Studies

Using CPS-3 data, ACS researchers discover that the difficulty of quitting smoking may be inherited and related to newly identified genes.

People who stop smoking by age 35 reduce almost 100% of the extra risk they had of dying from cancer or any other cause.

ACS and CDC researchers find that 12% of people diagnosed with lung cancer never smoked.

Smoking causes almost 7 of every 10 deaths from lung cancer in men and women across the world.

In Appalachia and the South, ACS researchers found 4 in 10 deaths from cancer are linked with smoking.

Screening & Early Detection Studies

The updated ACS guideline recommends adults ages 50-80 who have a 20+ pack-year smoking history get screened with a low-dose CT scan each year.

A group of international researchers discovered protein biomarkers that may help refine eligibility for lung cancer screening with LDCT.

Studies show that while expansion of guideline eligibility did not reduce disparities, state policies may hold the key to improving screening rates.

Ever Smoked Heavily? If So, You May Be Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening

Your primary care or specialty care providers are directed by the 2023 lung cancer screening guideline to refer you for screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) every year if all of the following statements are true:

You are between 50 and 80.
You currently smoke or used to smoke.
You have a 20-pack-year or more smoking history.
You are in reasonably good health, without any symptoms of lung cancer.

Learn more about the Lung Cancer Screening Guideline

The number of years since quitting smoking is no longer part of the criteria for lung cancer screening. That means a person who used to smoke with at least a 20 pack-year history, whether they quit yesterday or 20 years ago, is considered to have a high risk for developing lung cancer and should be recommended for a yearly LDCT.

Robert Smith, PhD

Senior Vice President, Early Cancer Detection Science

American Cancer Society

Treatment Studies

With multiple imaging techniques and AI, scientists create 3D stories about how mitochondria fuel tumors. The sequel? How to turn off the power source.

Study shows a combo of two existing medicines shrink tumors in mice with certain non-small cell lung cancers—clinical trials in humans may follow soon.

Promising results from mice studies testing a drug on lung cancers that previously had not responded to treatment led to phase 1 clinical trials in people.

Researchers developed a tiny 3D replica (organoid model) from healthy mouse lung cells to study early steps after KRAS gene mutations in lung cancer.

Survivorship Studies

Study leads to a clinical trial of virtual sessions to help people with early-stage lung cancer successfully transition from treatment to follow-up care.

Clinical trial: How yoga may improve symptoms and quality of life of patients and their partners during radiation treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

We Fund Cancer Researchers Across the US

The American Cancer Society funds scientists who conduct research about cancer at medical schools, universities, research institutes, and hospitals throughout the United States. We use a rigorous and independent peer review process to select the most innovative research projects proposals to fund.

Stats on the left are as of October 17, 2025.

103

lung cancer ACS grants

$72M

ACS funding for lung cancer research

See More Research Funding Statistics