14 DAY TRIAL // It’s a known fact that smoking can cause lung cancer, especially since more and more anti-smoking campaigns focus specifically on this fact. What has not been made public until this recent study, though, is that lung cancer can “discriminate” between men and women, with the latter being more likely to develop the terrible disease earlier in life and after having smoked considerably fewer cigarettes than their counterparts.
Thus, women are diagnosed with lung cancer much earlier than men, despite the fact that they may have smoked less than them, the study has revealed. Performed at a Swiss clinic between 2000 and 2005 on 683 lung cancer patients, the research did not take into account the biological differences of the cancer in each patient, which has prompted scientists to urge people not to jump to conclusions about the women’s risks of developing the disease, since further studies are in order.
Nevertheless, the research does point out that, in some respects, women are more vulnerable. The theory that women carry a gene that can encourage lung cancer growth is standing for quite some time, and this study could be seen as the evidence pointing in that direction. “Our findings suggest that women may have an increased susceptibility to tobacco carcinogens.” Dr. Martin Frueh from St Gallen Canton Hospital in Switzerland says for the Daily Mail.
The fact that many women still believe lung cancer to be strictly a man’s disease doesn’t help with the situation either, Frueh adds. “In the early 1900s lung cancer was reported to be rare in women. But since the 1960s it has progressively reached epidemic proportions, becoming the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. Lung cancer is not only a man’s disease, but women tend to be much more aware of other cancers, such as breast cancer.” Frueh further explains.
This is not to say, however, that people should jump to conclusions, since this research was only small-scale and further investigation is required. “People should be wary of jumping to conclusions about differences between men’s and women’s susceptibility to cancer. These scientists only studied patients referred to a single cancer centre, and did not look at biological differences between men’s and women’s lung cancers.” Henry Scowcroft of Cancer Research UK states for the aforementioned publication.