Objective To analyze the distribution of gender, age, pathology, smoking and urban-rural distribution in the new cases of lung cancer, and provide clinical data for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

Methods Clinical data of 3819 newly lung cancer patients was collected. The changes about clinical data in every 10 years were evaluated, to analyze the disease characteristics of the three decades.

Results The proportions of female cases were increase respectively in the three decades, the changes were significant (χ²=20.724, P < 0.01). The average age of lung cancer patients was about 60 years old. The proportions of smokers in three decades period were all more than 60% (χ²=0.333, P=0.847). The proportion of squamous cell carcinoma in three decades period were 49.65%, 46.46% and 40.15% (χ²=20.511, P < 0.01); the proportion of adenocarcinoma were 35.5%, 39.41% and 46.78% (χ²=170.494, P < 0.01); the number of patients with malignant pleural effusion increased significantly (χ²=52.191, P < 0.01); the proportion of rural patients was significantly increased (χ²=30.507, P < 0.01).

Conclusion Smoking has been an important factor which results in lung cancer in Huangshi City in nearly 30 years. The proportions of female lung patients, lung adenocarcinoma patients, rural lung patients increase significantly. The number of new lung cancer patients with malignant pleural effusion increase significantly. These characteristics should be considered in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.