Sex and Racial Differences in Age at Lung Cancer Diagnosis: A Large SEER-Based Epidemiologic Study

Age at lung cancer diagnosis varies across demographic groups, reflecting underlying biological, behavioral, and healthcare access differences. Understanding how age distribution differs by sex and race may help refine screening strategies and identify populations at risk of delayed diagnosis.

We analyzed 492,060 lung cancer cases from the SEER database. Age at diagnosis was grouped into standard SEER age recodes. Sex- and race-specific distributions were summarized graphically. Logistic regression estimated the odds of being diagnosed at an older age (≥70 years), with sex and race as predictors. Results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Marked demographic variation was observed. Females comprised a progressively larger proportion of lung cancer cases in older age groups, especially among Non-Hispanic White patients. Among Non-Hispanic Black patients, males represented a higher proportion of middle-aged diagnoses (ages 45–65), whereas representation became more balanced in older ages. Logistic regression showed that males had significantly lower odds of being diagnosed at ≥70 years compared with females (OR ≈ 0.88, 95% CI ~0.88–0.89). Non-Hispanic White patients had substantially higher odds of older-age diagnosis compared with Non-Hispanic Black patients (OR ≈ 1.75, 95% CI ~1.72–1.78).

Age at lung cancer diagnosis demonstrates significant sex- and race-based disparities. Women, particularly Non-Hispanic White women, are disproportionately represented at older ages, whereas Non-Hispanic Black men more frequently present at younger ages. These demographic differences may inform more equitable lung cancer screening strategies and highlight the need for targeted outreach in younger high-risk racial groups.