Lung cancer in women--an unrecognized epidemic

Abstract

Lung cancer claims the lives of more women in the United States than breast cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer-15%-has not changed much in the past 50 years. By contrast, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer in women is 86%. In Minnesota, the number of lung cancer deaths among women started exceeding deaths from breast cancer in 1992. This article looks at the explanations behind the phenomenon and ways to reduce deaths from lung cancer among women.