Lung cancer rates are rising in young women across multiple countries

An International Journal of Cancer study that examined lung cancer rates in young adults in 40 countries across five continents uncovered a trend of higher lung cancer rates in women compared with men in recent years.

The emerging trend was widespread, affecting countries across varied geographic locations and income levels. The changes appeared to be driven by a rising rate of adenocarcinoma lung cancer among women.

Historically, lung cancer rates have been higher among men than women because men started smoking in large numbers earlier and smoked at higher rates; however, recent studies have reported converging lung cancer incidence rates between sexes.

Additional research is needed to identify the reasons for the elevated incidence of lung cancer among young women observed in this study.