The leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States is:

• A. Prostate cancer
• B. Colon cancer
• C. Pancreatic cancer
• D. Lung cancer

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that how many people die from a cancer depends on both how common the cancer is and how deadly it is. Lung cancer tops the death list for men because it combines high lethality with historically high incidence, largely tied to smoking. Prostate cancer, while the most common cancer in men, often has a better prognosis and many cases are detected early, so fewer deaths occur overall. Colon cancer deaths have decreased thanks to screening and improved treatment. Pancreatic cancer, though very deadly, is less common, so its total deaths are still outrun by lung cancer. So, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States.