Lung cancer
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Despite advances in care, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with consistently low survival rates and a high number of new diagnoses each year.
We are committed to helping change this reality by accelerating breakthroughs and advocating for earlier detection and personalised approaches across all stages and subtypes of the disease.
By working collaboratively across the healthcare ecosystem, we aim to improve access and support better outcomes for all patients. Our ambition is to eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death driven by science, equity and collective action.
Lung cancer today: The leading cause of cancer death
Lung cancer continues to be a major global health challenge and a significant cause of mortality, accounting for about 2.45 million patients diagnosed and 1.8 million deaths each year.1
The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which represents around 85% of patients, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the more aggressive and fast-growing cancer type, representing about 15% of patients.2 NSCLC originates from the larger cells in the lungs, such as the epithelial cells lining the lung airways or mucus-producing cells.2 SCLC is more aggressive and fast-growing than NSCLC and originates from pulmonary neuroendocrine cells.2
NSCLC and SCLC are divided into stages from I to IV according to the severity of the disease, which is important for doctors to determine patients’ prognosis and treatment options.3,4 In addition to the four stages, SCLC is divided into two groups, which can help determine treatment approach. Limited-stage, where cancer is confined to one lung and nearby lymph nodes on the same side, which accounts for one third of patients, and extensive-stage, which accounts for two thirds and is where cancer has spread to both lungs, distant lymph nodes, or the body.4
Despite progress toward earlier identification, only 30% of patients are diagnosed in early stage.5 In most cases, lung cancer is not detected until it is already advanced, and in some patients the disease later returns after initial treatment.6 Fewer than 3 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer will still be alive five years after their diagnosis.7 For patients who experience recurrence, outcomes are especially poor.8 Diagnosing and treating patients in earlier stages of disease can maximise the potential for long-term disease remission and the possibility of cure.
By 2030 we aim to:
- Support the detection of 20% more early-stage lung cancers versus baseline
- Treat nearly 4 million patients with lung cancer
To meaningfully improve outcomes, we are prioritising lung cancer research to increase early screening and diagnosis and address the significant unmet need for treatments at every stage of the disease continuum.
Our R&D approach in lung cancer
We are at the forefront of advancing lung cancer care, continually striving to improve outcomes for those affected by the disease. Our approach is driven by precision medicine, leveraging groundbreaking science to deepen our understanding of lung cancer and deliver medicines tailored to the unique biology of each patient. This includes thinking differently about the underlying biology of lung cancer and innovating trial design, from early stages – where we aim to help patients live longer and cancer-free – to late stages, where we look to meaningfully extend survival.
Pioneering new approaches, advancing early detection and leveraging biomarker-based technologies are central to achieving our ambitions in lung cancer care. Biomarker testing is central to our strategy - with deeper insights into biomarker analysis, we can better understand the diversity of the disease and enable physicians to classify patients based on their disease risk, prognosis, and likelihood of response to treatment, ensuring more personalised and effective care. We are also advancing immuno-oncology (IO) therapies that enhance the immune system’s ability to recognise and attack cancer cells. Advances in IO, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific antibodies are driving novel combination therapies that provide more effective responses, longer survival, and address the underlying drivers of progression in advanced stages.
We are also focused on advancing treatment in earlier stages of lung cancer where the potential for long-term remission and even cure is highest. In pursuit of this goal, we have launched more than a dozen Phase II and III clinical trials evaluating our IO and gene-targeted therapies in earlier stages of disease. In the IO space alone, we now lead with the largest proportion of Phase III trials in early disease across the industry, with many ongoing across the NSCLC and SCLC settings.9
We are committed to helping change the reality of lung cancer by accelerating breakthroughs and advocating for earlier detection and personalised approaches across all stages and subtypes of the disease. Our comprehensive lung cancer portfolio of approved and potential new medicines in late-stage development spans different histologies, several stages of the disease, lines of therapy and mechanisms of action.9 Together with smarter trial design and collaborations, we are shaping the future of lung cancer care.
Inspiring testimonials: Beyond lung cancer
Our work continues to support the needs of lung cancer patients and their close ones as they continue to face immense challenges and endure pervasive stigma that leads to isolation. Seeing the realities of people living with lung cancer offers a fresh perspective, challenges misconceptions and provides hope for a more supportive future. Moreover, medical innovation and support from patient and caregiver communities allow patients like Clinton, Nancy, Barbara and Jeff, to live their lives with less limitations than ever thought possible.
Partnering to advance care in lung cancer
As a founding member of the Lung Ambition Alliance, a partnership of organisations driving forward meaningful improvements for people living with lung cancer, we are working collaboratively with the lung cancer community to improve access and support better outcomes for all lung cancer patients. Together, we advocate for improved outcomes in three key areas: increasing screening rates and diagnostic testing, accelerating the delivery of innovative medicine and improving quality of care.10
Recent and ongoing initiatives
- Lung Cancer Screening: The Cost of Inaction policy report, which outlines the opportunity presented by lung cancer screening at scale to reduce public health costs while saving lives
- Strategic global, regional and local collaborations, including one with Qure.AI using artificial intelligence to improve early lung cancer diagnoses
- ILC2 grant program, which funds non-profit initiatives with transformative potential for patient care on a local level
- Ongoing efforts to study oncology endpoints to accelerate drug approvals in earlier settings of lung cancer
Other Oncology areas of focus
References
1. World Health Organisation. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lung Fact Sheet. Available at: https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/15-trachea-bronchus-and-lung-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed December 2025.
2. American Cancer Society. What is Lung Cancer? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html. Accessed December 2025.
3. American Cancer Society. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stages. Available at: Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stages | American Cancer Society. Accessed December 2025.
4. American Cancer Society. Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages. Available at: Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages | Stages of Small Cell Lung Cancer | American Cancer Society. Accessed December 2025.
5. James, L, Kent, A. Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (Stages I and II). Thoracic Surgery Clerkship. 2024:73-84.
6. LUNGevity Foundation. Screening & Early Detection. Available at: https://lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/screening-early-detection. Accessed December 2025.
7. American Cancer Society. Lung cancer survival rates. Available at: Lung Cancer Survival Rates | 5-Year Survival Rates for Lung Cancer | American Cancer Society. Accessed December 2025.
8. American Cancer Society. Treatment Choices for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, by Stage. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/treating-non-small-cell/by-stage.html. Accessed December 2025.
9. AstraZeneca PLC. Clinical Trials Appendix. Q32025 Results Update Clinical Trials Appendix. Available at: 9M and Q3 2025 results clinical trials appendix. Accessed August 2025.
10. Lung Ambition Alliance. Our Ambition. Available at: https://www.lungambitionalliance.com. Accessed December 2025.
Veeva ID: Z4-79181
Date of preparation: March 2026