exposure to hazardous chemicals in some occupations, such
as coal gasification and aluminum production (11); exposure
to radiation from indoor radon released from soil and
building materials (12); and exposure to asbestos, silica dust,
and several elements, including arsenic (13). Most of the
lung cancer deaths due to secondhand smoke and indoor
air pollution occur in low- and middle-income countries
(LMICs), particularly China (14,15).
In this article, we present estimated worldwide lung
cancer mortality rates in 2012. We also show trends of lung
cancer mortality during recent decades in select countries in
various global regions. Trends in lung cancer mortality rates
in a country generally follow historical trends in smoking
prevalence, with the trend in lung cancer rates lagging
20-30 years. Therefore, we present contemporary regional
smoking prevalence and recent trends in order to provide
insights into future lung cancer trends. We do not provide
detailed information about the risk factors other than
smoking because, except for some specific populations, these
risk factors are responsible for a relatively small proportion
of lung cancer deaths worldwide (14) and because data on
these risk factors are sparse.