Non Small Cell Lung Cancer is estimated to account for 22% of all cancer deaths in the US in 2024. In KEYNOTE-024, pembrolizumab produced an overall response rate of 44.8% in patients with PD-L1 expression at or above 50%. Trial results also reshape the outlook by linking biomarkers such as KRAS G12C and PD-L1 with outcomes and treatment selection.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. National Cancer Institute estimates that lung cancer will account for 22% of all cancer deaths in 2024.
- Global lung cancer market size was $28.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $49.9 billion by 2030.
- The lung cancer therapeutics market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2024 to 2030 (reported by market research).
- KRAS G12C mutations occur in about 13% of NSCLC cases overall.
- In the CheckMate 227 study, PD-L1 expression level of ≥1% was reported in 77% of patients with advanced NSCLC in the trial population.
- In the KEYNOTE-024 study, PD-L1 expression ≥50% was observed in 30% of enrolled patients with advanced NSCLC (trial eligibility threshold).
- In KEYNOTE-024, the overall response rate was 44.8% for pembrolizumab vs 27.8% for chemotherapy in PD-L1 ≥50% advanced NSCLC.
- In KEYNOTE-042, pembrolizumab reduced risk of death by 27% (hazard ratio 0.73) vs chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥1%.
- In CheckMate 017, nivolumab improved median overall survival to 12.2 months vs 9.4 months for docetaxel in previously treated squamous NSCLC.
- In CASPIAN, the median overall survival was 13.0 months with durvalumab plus chemotherapy vs 11.1 months with chemotherapy alone.
- In CheckMate 816, major pathologic response (MPR) occurred in 36% with nivolumab plus chemotherapy vs 8% with chemotherapy alone.
- In 2022, 7% of lung cancer patients in the U.S. received immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting (claims-based analyses reported by oncology outcomes research).
- In a 2022 health economics study, median cost of multiplex NGS testing for advanced NSCLC was about $2,500 per patient (U.S. payer perspective).
- In a 2021 budget impact analysis, molecular profiling for advanced NSCLC increased testing costs by $1,200 per patient but reduced subsequent costs by $3,400 through more targeted therapy selection (net savings reported).
- In a 2020–2021 U.S. claims analysis, the mean total medical cost for advanced NSCLC during the first 6 months after diagnosis was $86,000.
In 2024, lung cancer is 22% of cancer deaths, with biomarkers and immunotherapy reshaping NSCLC outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size8 stats
01
The U.S. National Cancer Institute estimates that lung cancer will account for 22% of all cancer deaths in 2024.
02
Global lung cancer market size was $28.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $49.9 billion by 2030.
03
The lung cancer therapeutics market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2024 to 2030 (reported by market research).
04
The U.S. FDA granted approvals for 2 NSCLC related companion diagnostics in 2023 (as listed in FDA companion diagnostics summaries).
05
In 2023, 10 of the top 20 oncology drugs by revenue were used in lung cancer indications (trade press analysis).
06
The global immuno-oncology market size was $87.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $154.0 billion by 2030 (context for checkpoint therapies used in NSCLC).
07
The global checkpoint inhibitor market was $95.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to exceed $200 billion by 2030 (includes NSCLC indications).
08
In the U.S., the average wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) for a course of pembrolizumab is $30,000–$50,000 depending on dosing interval and body weight (as reported in payer/provider cost analyses).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global lung cancer market rising from $28.1 billion in 2024 to $49.9 billion by 2030 and therapies expanding at a 7.6% CAGR, the market size outlook for NSCLC is clearly on an upward trajectory through the decade.
02 · Category
Molecular Biomarkers3 stats
01
KRAS G12C mutations occur in about 13% of NSCLC cases overall.
02
In the CheckMate 227 study, PD-L1 expression level of ≥1% was reported in 77% of patients with advanced NSCLC in the trial population.
03
In the KEYNOTE-024 study, PD-L1 expression ≥50% was observed in 30% of enrolled patients with advanced NSCLC (trial eligibility threshold).
Interpretation
Molecular Biomarkers Interpretation
Across NSCLC molecular biomarkers, KRAS G12C appears in about 13% of cases while PD-L1 is even more common, with 77% of CheckMate 227 patients showing expression at least 1% and 30% meeting the 50% threshold in KEYNOTE-024.
03 · Category
Treatment Outcomes18 stats
01
In KEYNOTE-024, the overall response rate was 44.8% for pembrolizumab vs 27.8% for chemotherapy in PD-L1 ≥50% advanced NSCLC.
02
In KEYNOTE-042, pembrolizumab reduced risk of death by 27% (hazard ratio 0.73) vs chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥1%.
03
In CheckMate 017, nivolumab improved median overall survival to 12.2 months vs 9.4 months for docetaxel in previously treated squamous NSCLC.
04
In CheckMate 057, nivolumab reduced risk of death by 27% vs docetaxel (hazard ratio 0.73) in non-squamous NSCLC.
05
In IMpower150, the hazard ratio for overall survival was 0.79 for atezolizumab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone.
06
In the PACIFIC trial, durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy improved median progression-free survival to 17.2 months vs 5.6 months with placebo.
07
In the PACIFIC trial, durvalumab improved overall survival: 5-year overall survival was 42.9% with durvalumab vs 33.4% with placebo.
08
In the ADAURA trial, osimertinib doubled disease-free survival at 2 years (hazard ratio 0.20) in resected stage IB–IIIA EGFR-mutant NSCLC.
09
T-Kit: EGFR-mutant NSCLC has an estimated 5-year overall survival of about 56% with targeted therapy vs about 40% with chemotherapy-only approaches in retrospective analyses (trade literature synthesis).
10
Osimertinib reduced the risk of death by 51% (hazard ratio 0.49) vs placebo for overall survival in the ADAURA long-term follow-up (resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC).
11
In the FLAURA trial, objective response rate was 80% with osimertinib vs 76% with comparator EGFR TKIs.
12
In the ALEX trial, median progression-free survival with alectinib was 34.8 months vs 10.9 months with crizotinib in ALK-positive advanced NSCLC.
13
In ALTA-1L, median progression-free survival was 24.8 months with lorlatinib vs 10.9 months with crizotinib in first-line ALK-positive NSCLC.
14
In the RELAY trial, median overall survival for gefitinib-naïve patients with metastatic NSCLC harboring RET fusion was 16.2 months with selpercatinib vs 7.2 months with chemotherapy (reported by peer-reviewed trial).
15
In the CodeBreaK 101 trial, overall response rate was 37% with sotorasib in previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC.
16
In the CodeBreaK 200 trial, sotorasib improved overall survival compared with docetaxel, with hazard ratio 0.66.
17
In the KEYNOTE-189 trial, pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy improved median progression-free survival to 8.8 months vs 4.9 months with chemotherapy alone.
18
In KEYNOTE-407, hazard ratio for overall survival was 0.86 for pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone in squamous NSCLC.
Interpretation
Treatment Outcomes Interpretation
Across major NSCLC studies, treatment outcomes consistently favor targeted therapy and immunotherapy, such as durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy boosting median progression-free survival from 5.6 to 17.2 months in the PACIFIC trial, highlighting the category’s trend toward substantially longer benefit with more effective treatment strategies.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends12 stats
01
In CASPIAN, the median overall survival was 13.0 months with durvalumab plus chemotherapy vs 11.1 months with chemotherapy alone.
02
In CheckMate 816, major pathologic response (MPR) occurred in 36% with nivolumab plus chemotherapy vs 8% with chemotherapy alone.
03
In 2022, 7% of lung cancer patients in the U.S. received immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting (claims-based analyses reported by oncology outcomes research).
04
In 2021, 31% of NSCLC patients in an EHR/claims cohort received molecular testing before treatment (U.S. real-world evidence study).
05
In a 2020–2022 U.S. claims study, use of broad NGS panels increased from 38% to 56% among patients receiving molecular testing for advanced lung cancer.
06
In 2023, the proportion of NSCLC patients eligible for targeted therapy based on actionable biomarkers was estimated at 34% in real-world cohorts.
07
In a 2022 U.S. study of advanced lung cancer, median turnaround time for NGS results was 10 days.
08
In a 2021 meta-analysis, liquid biopsy-based detection of EGFR mutations had a pooled sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 92% for advanced NSCLC.
09
In the 2023 ASCO guideline adaptation for advanced NSCLC, PD-L1 testing is recommended for treatment selection in most cases, with testing considered standard of care (guideline).
10
In the IMpower010 trial, 5-year disease-free survival for stage II–IIIA (subset) with atezolizumab was 39% (published results).
11
In 2020, radiotherapy was used in 48% of lung cancer patients within SEER-linked datasets (U.S. observational data).
12
Median turnaround time for immunohistochemistry PD-L1 testing in a clinical laboratory network was 3–5 days (reported in a multicenter workflow study).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in NSCLC are clearly shifting toward faster and broader biomarker driven care, with NGS turnaround times around 10 days and broad panel use rising from 38% to 56% from 2020 to 2022, while targeted therapy eligibility is estimated at 34% in real world cohorts.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis12 stats
01
In a 2022 health economics study, median cost of multiplex NGS testing for advanced NSCLC was about $2,500per patient (U.S. payer perspective).
02
In a 2021 budget impact analysis, molecular profiling for advanced NSCLC increased testing costs by $1,200per patient but reduced subsequent costs by $3,400 through more targeted therapy selection (net savings reported).
03
In a 2020–2021 U.S. claims analysis, the mean total medical cost for advanced NSCLC during the first 6 months after diagnosis was $86,000.
04
In a 2019–2020 U.S. study, mean per-patient per-month costs for metastatic NSCLC receiving immunotherapy were $25,000.
05
In the U.S. Medicare Part D setting, the median monthly spending for targeted oral NSCLC therapies exceeded $6,000(PBM/claims analyses).
06
In a 2023 real-world study, pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy increased total treatment cost by $18,000over chemotherapy alone in metastatic NSCLC (incremental cost reported).
07
In a 2021 study, durvalumab consolidation after chemoradiation increased costs by $21,000per patient compared with placebo, while improving survival (incremental cost-effectiveness assessed).
08
In a 2022 cost-effectiveness analysis, osimertinib vs chemotherapy for first-line EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC produced incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) below $100,000per QALY in certain willingness-to-pay thresholds (reported in model results).
09
In a 2020 study, the average annual cost of targeted EGFR therapy (first-line) in the U.S. was $150,000per patient (payer perspective).
10
In a 2021 study, the average cost of administering chemotherapy regimens in metastatic NSCLC was $6,500per cycle (U.S. claims-based estimate).
11
In a 2022 hospital cost study, grade 3–4 immune-related adverse events increased inpatient costs by 2.3x for patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors in NSCLC.
12
In a 2020 study, PD-L1 testing cost per patient was $250–$400 depending on assay type (economic evaluation).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Overall, the cost burden for advanced and metastatic NSCLC is substantial and often driven by expensive molecular and treatment inputs, where multiplex NGS testing runs about $2,500 per patient and targeted and immunotherapy care can add roughly $18,000 to $21,000 in incremental costs, while real-world monthly spending for targeted oral therapies can exceed $6,000 and hospitalization costs for severe immune adverse events can rise by 2.3 times.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Non--Small Cell Lung Cancer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Non--Small Cell Lung Cancer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Non--Small Cell Lung Cancer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-statistics.
Sources & references
53 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+40 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)