What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men (33,438 new cases in 2023), after prostate cancer, and the third in women (19,339 new cases in 2023), after breast and colorectal cancer. It is also the leading cause of cancer mortality in men, and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women after breast cancer. It occurs on average at the age of 68. (Source INCa) 

Following an upturn until the end of the 1990s, the occurrence of lung cancer and its mortality in men has been declining, while continuing to rise in women. These variations can be explained by the discrepancy between the changes in habits (decreased tobacco use in men and increased use in women) and the emergence of cancers related to these habits, 20 to 30 years later. 

Smoking is the main risk factor for lung cancer. But certain compounds (asbestos, diesel exhaust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, certain ionizing radiations, radon, silica, cadmium...) * are also recognized as human lung carcinogens. All patients, whether or not they smoke, must be examined for professional exposure to a carcinogen, which then justifies a declaration and possibly compensation. 

Finally, family history and genetic predisposition (variants of the p53 and EGFR genes in particular) increase the risk of lung cancer.

There are two main groups of lung cancer: 
-Small-cell bronchial cancers (SCC), which are closely linked to tobacco consumption; they account for 15% of lung cancers.
-Non-small-cell bronchial cancers (NSCLC): these account for over 80% of lung cancers, and include adenocarcinomas (60% of cases), squamous cell carcinomas (30% of cases) and large-cell carcinomas (rarer).

Treatment of these tumors is very different and must be tailored to suit each patient.

*Source INCa