Greater risk of women developing lung cancer than men
Here’s a chilling quote I found in USA Today: “Lung cancer causes more deaths among women than breast, uterine and ovarian cancers combined.”
That’s an excerpt from an interview with Jyoti Patel, M.D., who is a specialist in women’s lung cancer. Dr. Patel says the problem is compounded by the fact that most doctors still believe that lung cancer is a disease diagnosed mostly in older men who are smokers. As a result, not enough attention is paid to possible warning signs of the disease in women.
As you might suspect, those who smoke are in the highest risk group for lung cancer. But former smokers may be more vulnerable than they imagine. According to Dr. Patel, lung cancer risk remains high for 20 years after a smoker kicks the habit. And even after two decades lung cancer risk is only cut by half.
But if you’ve never smoked at all, that doesn’t mean your risk is zero. And among non-smoking women, the risk of developing lung cancer is still higher than that of non-smoking men.
Dr. Patel suggests that all women should be on the lookout for these warning signs of lung cancer:
- A cough that changes character (such as severity or frequency)
- Awakened at night by coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Blood in sputum
Women take heed: This is a dangerous cancer that shouldn’t be dismissed as a man’s disease or a smoker’s disease.
Sources:
“Lung Cancer: A Woman’s Disease” Janice Billingsley, HealthDay, 1/14/05, usatoday.com
