Much focus has been given to breast cancer over the past two decades. Breast cancer affects many women -- and some men -- each year. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
Although breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, lung cancer has the highest mortality rate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that even though more women get breast cancer, more women die from lung cancer than breast cancer each year.
In fact, lung cancer has the highest mortality rate for women and men out of all cancer types in the United States and in the United Kingdom.
With little attention being paid to lung cancer, you may ask yourself what causes lung cancer, who is at risk and how you can help prevent lung cancer from developing. As much as you thought you knew about lung cancer, the answers will surprise you.
What are the causes of lung cancer in women?
U.S. News & World Report recently tried to find out why more women are getting lung cancer than ever before. Sadly, lung cancer in women is on the rise. While breast cancer is still the most common cancer in women, lung cancer has seen a steady increase in recent years. Lung cancer in men has dropped 28 percent in the past 37 years. However, it has increased by 98 percent in women. Doctors are startled by such a surge of lung cancer cases in women.
Historically, smoking has been associated with lung cancer. That is still true today; in fact, smoking is still responsible for four out of five lung cancer cases. However, a stunning incidence of lung cancer in women who don’t smoke is occurring. One in five women who have lung cancer has never picked up a cigarette. These cases pose the biggest concerns.
Sometimes there are other factors that can put a woman at risk for lung cancer. Secondhand smoke and genetics can play a role. Also, exposure to chemicals like radon, uranium, nickel, arsenic and asbestos can increase the risk of lung cancer in women. Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence of what specifically causes lung cancer.
Who is at risk for lung cancer?
As reported by the CDC, the American Lung Association and U.S. News & World Report, women who smoke cigarettes have the highest risk of lung cancer. Smoking is responsible for 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women. Additionally, between 2005 and 2010, smoking-attributed lung cancer caused 56,359 deaths in women. It is not just smokers who are affected by their smoking. Non-smokers who are consistently exposed to smoking in their homes or places of business have a 20 to 30 percent increased chance of developing lung cancer.
Radon, a naturally occurring gas found in rocks and dirt, can increase the risk of lung cancer in women. The CDC states that radon can become trapped in homes, resulting in incidences of lung cancer. The CDC recommends having your home tested for radon to help lower your risk of developing lung cancer. Likewise, ensuring little-to-no exposure to asbestos, arsenic, nickel and uranium can help decrease your risk.
Exposure to radon is the second-highest cause of lung cancer after smoking. That is why you might consider getting your home tested for high radon levels. It is odorless, tasteless and invisible, making it virtually undetectable. Radon is a form of ionized radiation that occurs when uranium decays. It is not commercially produced, but it is a natural occurrence. Although radon can appear in drinking water, the most common form of exposure is inhalation and ingestion.
What are some tips for lung cancer prevention?
There is one tip that the CDC and the American Lung Association agree on more than anything else: quitting smoking will help prevent incidences of lung cancer in women. If you have never smoked, don’t start. Limited contact with second-hand smoke can prevent you from developing lung cancer. The mortality rates associated with lung cancer speak for themselves: Quitting smoking is the most highly recommended prevention tip for you and the women around you.
Incidentally, if you are a smoker and have had exposure to radon, your risk for lung cancer increases by 144 percent. Out of 1,000 women who smoke and have been exposed to radon, 260 of them are estimated to get lung cancer. However, out of 1,000 women who do not smoke and have been exposed to radon, only 36 are estimated to get lung cancer. It is clear why both smoking and exposure to radon are the leading causes of lung cancer incidences in women.
Breast Cancer vs. Lung Caner
While attention still should be given to breast cancer, it is also important that women pay attention to lung cancer. Regrettably, lung cancer isn't discussed as much because of the smoking stigma associated with the disease. However, regardless of how or why lung cancer rates in women rise, it is a growing problem. Without discussion about lung cancer mortality rates in women, many women may increase their risk for lung cancer when that risk is already high. Unknowingly, women could put themselves in harm’s way because there is no ongoing conversation about lung cancer prevalence and mortality rates in women.
Advocacy and awareness of lung cancer in women is vital to decreasing mortality rates. While many women who get lung cancer continue to live with the disease, lung cancer is often fatal.
In reality, only 16 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are survivors. Prevention is the biggest tool women have in combating lung cancer. Educate yourself and the women around you about the dangers of lung cancer and how to prevent it.