Lung cancer rates in older women double

Lung cancer rates have doubled for women in older women since the 1970's, figures have shown.

Rates for British women aged 60 and over rose from 88 per 100,000 in 1975 to 190 per 100,000 in 2008, according to health charity Cancer Research UK.

In 1975, nearly 5,700 women over 60 were diagnosed with lung cancer, but this soared to more than 15,100 in 2008.

The biggest jump in the number of women with lung cancer occurred in women over 80, with around 800 women with the disease in 1975 to more than 4,700 in 2008.

However, after large increases since the mid 1970’s, lung cancer rates in women aged 70-79 have now levelled off over the last decade.

Lung cancer rates in 40-49 year old women have fallen by a fifth, from 14 per 100,000 in 1975 to 11 per 100,000 in 2008.

And overall, the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer has risen from around 7,800 cases in 1975 to more than 17,500 in 2008.

Figures for men show the opposite with around 23,400 over 60s diagnosed with lung cancer in 1975, falling to around 19,400 men in 2008, with rates showing a similar large drop.

Unlike many cancers, the cause of most cases of lung cancer is already known. Smoking is responsible for nine out of ten cases of the disease.

Research has shown that the reduction in lung cancer cases goes hand in hand with a reduction in smoking. The difference in lung cancer trends for men and women is mirrored by the smoking patterns in previous years for each sex.

Men had the highest smoking rates in the 1940s and 50s and falling from then. Women had rising rates in the 60s and 70s.

Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: “These figures highlight how important tobacco control measures are in helping people to stop smoking.

"With the lung cancer rate rising among women we would like the government to introduce a comprehensive and well funded tobacco control strategy that targets at risk groups and stops young people from beginning an addiction that kills half of all long term smokers.

“Around nine in ten cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking and one in five people still smoke, so it’s vital that work continues to support smokers to quit and protect young people from being recruited into an addiction that kills half of all long term smokers.

"In particular we want displays in shops covered up so that young people are no longer being exposed to this form of tobacco marketing.”

This article was published on Mon 7 March 2011