Women & Lung Cancer

“When you think about who gets lung cancer, we immediately form a picture in our mind,” said Meghana Raghavendra, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist with Franciscan Physician Network in Indianapolis. “You think about somebody who smoked for a long time, typically a man. That stereotype is not always true.

“More recently, in the last 40 years, there has been nearly an 84% increase in women being diagnosed with lung cancer, while a 36% decrease in men being diagnosed with lung cancer. And more importantly, young women between 30 and 55, in that age group, women are more commonly diagnosed with lung cancer than men have been. So there has been a significant change in the statistics.”

With a rising numbers of younger women and nonsmokers being diagnosed with lung cancer, it’s important to be aware of the signs of lung cancer and steps women can take to prevent this disease.

“We need to start paying attention to this because it is a significant diagnosis,” Dr. Raghavendra said. “About 40% of patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer are alive in five years. So we need to make sure that we are using the knowledge that we have, we are using the tools that we have, not only to help decrease the risk of cancer development, but also do things to take care of cancer, diagnose it early so we can cure a majority of our patients.”

How Can Women Prevent Lung Cancer?

“The most important thing that we can do to decrease the risk of lung cancer development, quit smoking, right?” Dr. Raghavendra said. “Encourage your children to not ever smoke. If you're a smoker, talk to your primary care physician, talk to your friend, talk to your oncologist. Find ways to help us help you so we can quit smoking so that way we can decrease the risk of lung cancer development.”

Lung cancer in smokers is often caused by years of exposure to cancer-causing substances in tobacco smoke. These substances cause multiple genetic changes in cells that line the lungs.

Other steps women can take to prevent lung cancer include:

• Stay away from secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is linked to more than 6,000 cases of lung cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Test your home for radon gas.

When Should I Be Screened For Lung Cancer?

Both women and men between the ages of 50 and 80 and are former smokers with a 20-pack-year history (meaning a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years) should consider being screened for lung cancer each year. This is done through an annual lung cancer screening CT,

“Two huge trials show that patients who have early diagnosis of lung cancer have a higher rate of cure," Dr. Raghavendra said. "These CT scans can be lifesaving just like you do mammograms to diagnose breast cancer, we do low dose CTs annually to decrease or catch lung cancers early so we can treat them and hopefully cure a majority of our patients.”

Can I Get Lung Cancer If I Don’t Smoke?

While cigarette smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, it's possible to get the disease without ever lighting up.

A U.S. National Cancer Institute study estimates 20% of women who develop lung cancer never used tobacco products.

Lung cancer in nonsmokers results from other known exposures, including radon gas or secondhand smoke. Asbestos exposure carries a risk for mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer affecting the thin tissue that covers the majority of a person's internal organs.

Are Lung Cancer Symptoms Different If You’re A Non-Smoker?

“There is no distinct difference in symptoms between smokers and non-smokers,” Dr. Raghavendra said. “There's not really a distinct difference between patients who have smoked and not smoked in terms of cancer symptoms themselves, so pay attention to those symptoms even if you've never smoked.”

Potential symptoms of lung cancer that warrant a trip to a doctor include:

Cough That Doesn’t Go Away

“The symptoms that happen with lung cancer can sometimes be a simple cough that's simply not going away,” Dr. Raghavendra said. “If you've had a cough for nearly two months or three months, if you've done the usual antiviral, the over-the-counter medications and simply symptoms are not getting better or getting worse, then you need to seek help for that.”

Pain In Chest

“Sometimes patients can come in because they have pain in their chest in a particular area because the tumor is really close to the surface of their lung or the floor,” Dr. Raghavendra said. “That can be a symptom as well, especially if it's not getting better.”

Coughing Up Blood

“If the cancer tends to be eating into a blood vessel potentially, that can present as some people coming up with coughing with blood in it, so that can be a symptom,” Dr. Raghavendra said.

Unexplained Weight Loss

“If the cancer's more advanced, then it can cause more symptoms like weight loss or appetite changes or bone pain,” Dr. Raghavendra said.

While lung cancer has traditionally been associated with smoking, it is crucial to recognize that women, whether they are smokers or not, can still be at risk. Understanding your risk factors for lung cancer, such as genetics, exposure to secondhand smoke, and occupational hazards, is essential. If you're experiencing concerning symptoms or are a current or former smoker, talk to your doctor about screenings for lung cancer.