The 9th Lung Cancer Europe Report on Lung Cancer

Early diagnosis, clear information and a real say in treatment can change what living with lung cancer looks like. This Lung Cancer Europe report examines how well those things work across Europe, and where people are being let down.

Between May and July 2024, 2,040 people took part in the survey: 1,432 people diagnosed with lung cancer and 608 people caring for someone with the disease, across 34 countries in the WHO European Region. Their responses give one of the clearest available pictures of what people impacted by lung cancer know about the disease, how they find information, and how involved they feel in decisions about their own care.

What the report covers

The findings fall into three areas.

Knowledge about lung cancer: awareness of risk factors, recognition of symptoms, understanding of lung cancer screening, and knowledge of clinical trials and treatment options.

Access to information: experiences along the diagnostic pathway, informed consent, the barriers people meet when trying to understand their diagnosis, and where they turn when the healthcare system does not meet their needs.

Shared decision-making: whether people feel their views are heard, how often treatment and care plans reflect their preferences, and what would help them take a more active role.

Some of what we found

More than half of people diagnosed with lung cancer did not know they were at risk before diagnosis, and smoking remained the only risk factor most people recognised. Awareness of radon, radiation, asbestos and environmental pollution stayed low.

Only four in ten people correctly identified what lung cancer screening is, and almost half did not know whether a screening programme existed in their country.

Information gaps run throughout the experience of care. Four in ten people did not receive enough information about their diagnosis, treatment and care, and half were given nothing about alternative treatment options. Women and people caring for someone with lung cancer reported worse access than others across almost every measure.

Almost everyone believed their views should count in treatment decisions, yet fewer than half felt highly involved in making them. Complex information and poor communication were named as the main obstacles to meaningful participation.

What we are calling for

The report closes with a clear ask: raise public awareness that anyone with lungs can develop lung cancer, and give people the complete, clear information they need to take part in decisions about their care. The full findings, figures and recommendations are set out in the report below.