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Lung cancer/smoking gender link unveiled

14/06/2008

Women who smoke are no more likely to develop lung cancer than men who smoke, according to new research published today.

Previous studies have analysed the link between gender and the risk of lung cancer but they have produced conflicting results.

The latest report by researchers at the National Cancer Institute in the US analysed data from nearly half a million American men and women aged between 50 and 71 on their smoking habits and rates of lung cancer.

The researchers found that overall 1.47 per cent of men and 1.21 per cent of women in the study developed lung cancer.

Smoking was strongly associated with cancer risk in both men and women.

Current smokers of more than two packs per day were about 50 times more likely to develop lung cancer then never smokers.

Women smokers were slightly less likely (0.9 times) than men who smoked comparable amounts to develop the disease.

But women who had never smoked were 1.3 times more likely than men who had never smoked to develop lung cancer.

"Our findings suggest that women are not more susceptible than men to the carcinogenic effects of cigarette smoking in the lung," the study's authors conclude.

"Vigorous efforts should continue to be directed at eliminating smoking in both sexes."

The research is published in the journal Lancet Oncology.