An epidemiologic study of cancer deaths recorded in the last half of the 20th century is conducted. The number of deaths for one particular cancer had increased markedly in developed nations. More than 30% of cancer deaths in men, and more than 24% of cancer deaths in women, were caused by this neoplasm in 1998. In some nations, prevention strategies reduced deaths from this cancer. Which of the following neoplasms was most likely identified by this study?

The incidence of lung cancers increased dramatically in the 20th century because of the popularity of cigarette smoking. As the number of individuals in a population who smoke increases, so do the number of lung cancers. Some cancers of the urinary tract, oral cavity, esophagus, and pancreas also are causally related to smoking. Breast, prostate, and colon cancers remain common in developed nations, but the number of cases has not increased sharply. Pap smear screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination markedly decrease numbers of cervical cancers. There has been an increase in the incidence of melanomas worldwide, but there are still far fewer cases of melanomas than of lung cancers. Hepatic and intracranial neoplasms in adults are far less common than lung cancers.