Lung cancer in Germany: incidence and survival trends from ZfKD registry data (2020-2023)

How has the burden of lung cancer in Germany developed in recent years? The OncoCase team analysed comprehensive population-based data from the German Centre for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD), which compiles mandatory cancer notifications from all German federal states. The results were presented as a poster at ISPOR Europe 2025.

The retrospective analysis included all lung cancer cases diagnosed between 2020 and 2023 in adults aged 18 years or older. Patient demographics, tumour characteristics (histological subtype, stage) and Kaplan-Meier survival estimates by subtype and stage were analysed.

Key findings

• Stage IV was the most common stage at diagnosis: 41% in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 59% in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

• Median survival was 12.8 months for NSCLC and 8.1 months for SCLC.

• In stage IV disease, median survival dropped to 6.5 months (NSCLC) and 6.8 months (SCLC).

The results underline how often lung cancer is still diagnosed at an advanced stage in Germany, and the value of registry data for monitoring the disease burden.

Download the poster: https://www.oncocase.de/s/ISPOR-EU-2025_NSCLC-German-Cancer-Registry-Poster_25OCT2025_qr-code.pdf