Lung Cancer in Women: Present and Future Trends

Summary

A retrospective study of 108 female lung-cancer patients seen during 1970-72 showed that cigarette smoking was closely associated with epidermoid and oat-cell types of lung cancer, and less strongly with glandular types of lung cancer. Among cigarette smokers of > 1 pack/day, a longer history of smoking, earlier starting age, inhalation, and nonfilter cigarette smoking were significantly associated with greater lung-cancer morbidity ratios. Another study of 1839 male and 2213 female control patients showed great differences in various smoking-intensity factors between men and women, but the differences diminished at younger ages. As women adopt cigarette-smoking habits similar to those of men, the death rate from lung cancer in women will continue to increase. However, the level is not expected to attain that presently observed in men, since young women began smoking cigarettes with lower tar-yield (i.e., filters) than did men presently of lung-cancer age.