Lung cancer: Women expected to overtake men in UK this year

The number of lung cancer cases in women is projected to rise along with the rise in their smoking habits, as compared to the decline in men. — AFP

Historically, smoking rates have always been higher among men.

However, these have gradually declined over the years, while smoking rates among women have increased, or stabilized, depending on the country, over the last few decades.

And this is not without consequence for the incidence of certain cancers.

In the United Kingdom, projections by Cancer Research UK for The Guardian reveal that the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer is expected to be higher than the number of men this year for the first time – specifically over the period from 2022 to 2024.

The analysis estimates that there will be 27,332 cases of lung cancer in British women, compared with 27,172 cases in men.

As the third most common form of cancer in the UK, lung cancer accounted for 13% of all new cancer cases over the 2016-2018 period, according to the most recent data from Cancer Research UK.

It is also the most common cause of cancer death, accounting for 21% of all cancer deaths between 2017 and 2019.

The British charity reveals that lung cancer incidence rates have risen by 32% in women since the early 1990s, while they have fallen by 34% in men.

Until then, men remained the most affected, with around 25,300 new cases each year for the 2016-2018 period, compared with 23,300 new cases among women.

According to Cancer Research UK's findings, this trend is on course to be completely reversed this year, and the gap may even widen in coming years, to the detriment of women.

According to the new projections, more than 34,800 women are expected to be diagnosed by 2038-2040, compared with more than 31,350 men.

In terms of the incidence rate per 100,000 people, the gap is set to narrow considerably, from 91 cases in men and 71 cases in women over the 2016-2018 period, to 80 cases in men and 78 cases in women by 2038-2040.

"This change is mainly due to historical differences in smoking prevalence between the sexes.

"Rates of smoking peaked much earlier in males than females, so lung cancer incidence in males has started falling earlier than in females," said Cancer Research UK prevention policy manager Alizée Froguel.

Faced with the new projections by Cancer Research UK, experts and health professionals are calling on the authorities to step up awareness campaigns on the harmful effects of smoking, as well as public health campaigns to help people kick the habit.

For their part, women are urged to be on the lookout for early signs of lung cancer. – AFP Relaxnews