Women who smoke at highest risk for lung cancer
Women At Highest Risk For Lung Cancer
Shortly after getting the sad news about Peter Jennings, we were shocked again to hear that Dana Reeve (Christopher Reeve’s widow) has lung cancer. The fact that Dana was never a smoker received a lot of attention and served as an important reminder that everyone (especially women) needs to be aware of lung cancer warning signs. But this isn’t news to HSI members.
In the e-Alert “Nice Spice” (1/26/05), I told you about a USA Today article that featured an interview with Jyoti Patel, M.D. – a specialist in women’s lung cancer. Dr. Patel noted 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.
The group at highest risk for lung cancer is women who smoke. 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 as we’ve seen with Dana Reeve, abstaining from smoking doesn’t mean your risk is zero. And among women who have never smoked, 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
And the statistics are daunting. According to Dr. Patel, “Lung cancer causes more deaths among women than breast, uterine and ovarian cancers combined.”
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
