The cancer that kills the most women over 50 isn’t breast cancer — and only 1 in 5 people who qualify get the test that catches it early

by Adrienne Erin

Every October, the pink ribbons come out. Your clinic sends a mammogram reminder, your grocery store sells pink-lidded yogurt, and your social feeds fill with survivor stories. All of that attention has helped save hundreds of thousands of lives. But ask most women which cancer is most likely to kill them after 50, and nearly all of them will guess wrong.

Key Takeaways

  • Lung cancer, not breast cancer, is the leading cause of cancer death for women aged 50 and older in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society’s 2026 report. Breast cancer still leads among women under 50.
  • Across all ages, lung cancer is projected to kill about 61,950 U.S. women in 2026, compared with about 42,140 who will die of breast cancer.
  • Smoking is the biggest risk factor, but up to 20% of people who die of lung cancer never smoked. Radon, an invisible gas in homes, is the leading cause among never-smokers.
  • A yearly low-dose CT scan can catch lung cancer early in people at high risk, yet only about 1 in 5 eligible Americans got screened in 2024.
  • If you’re 50 to 80 and have ever smoked heavily, ask your doctor whether lung cancer screening is right for you.

Lung cancer quietly took the top spot decades ago

Lung cancer passed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women back in 1987, and it has held that position since. The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2026 projects that lung cancer will account for about 21% of all cancer deaths in women this year.

The age split matters. Among women younger than 50, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death. From 50 on, lung cancer takes over, for both women and men.

This is not a case of breast cancer mattering less. Breast cancer is far more common. It’s projected to account for about 32% of all new cancer diagnoses in women in 2026, nearly double the share for lung cancer. The difference is survival. Breast cancer deaths have fallen 44% since 1989 thanks to better treatment and screening, while lung cancer is still usually found late, when it’s harder to treat.

Why so many women never see it coming

Part of the problem is that lung cancer rarely causes symptoms until it has spread. Another part is perception. Many women think of lung cancer as a “smoker’s disease,” so if they quit years ago or never smoked, they don’t consider it a risk.

Smoking is still the number one cause, linked to roughly 80% to 90% of U.S. lung cancer deaths. But as many as 20% of people who die of lung cancer in the U.S. each year never smoked or used any other tobacco. According to the EPA, radon, a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that seeps up from soil into homes, is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and the leading cause among people who have never smoked. It’s responsible for about 21,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths a year. Secondhand smoke and air pollution also raise risk.

Worldwide, lung cancer in never-smokers disproportionately affects women, and researchers are still working out why.

The good news: it’s getting more survivable

Lung cancer deaths have been falling. Among women, the lung cancer death rate has dropped 38% from its 2002 peak, helped by fewer people smoking, earlier detection, and newer targeted treatments and immunotherapies.

The biggest untapped tool is screening. A yearly low-dose CT scan, which uses a small amount of radiation to take detailed pictures of the lungs, can find cancer before symptoms start, when it’s most treatable. Yet an American Cancer Society study published in JAMA in November 2025 found that only about 1 in 5 eligible Americans were screened in 2024. The researchers estimated that screening everyone eligible could prevent about 62,000 more lung cancer deaths over five years.

Screening isn’t for everyone. It’s designed for people at high risk, and it can turn up false alarms that lead to more tests. It also doesn’t help never-smokers, who aren’t currently eligible, which is why knowing your other risks matters.

What to do with this information

Check whether you qualify for screening. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly low-dose CT for adults 50 to 80 with a 20 “pack-year” smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years) who still smoke or quit within the past 15 years. The American Cancer Society’s guideline goes further and no longer excludes people based on how long ago they quit. If you’re unsure, ask your doctor.

Test your home for radon. Do-it-yourself test kits are inexpensive and available at hardware stores. Testing is the only way to know your level.

Don’t ignore persistent symptoms. See a doctor for a cough that lasts more than a few weeks or keeps getting worse, coughing up blood, chest pain, hoarseness, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, or repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia.

Keep your mammograms, too. This isn’t a choice between the two. Breast cancer screening remains important, and so does knowing that the bigger cancer risk after 50 may be the one no one talks about.

This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for advice from your doctor.

Sources:

Adrienne Erin

Adrienne holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, where she developed a strong foundation in exercise physiology and human nutrition. Before joining DailyHealthPost, she spent several years writing about health and wellness topics, translating nutrition and fitness research into practical guidance for everyday readers.

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