More women get lung cancer

More women get lung cancer

The number of men diagnosed with lung cancer has dropped by almost a quarter over the past 10 years, while the number of women with the disease has increased by 12 per cent, it was disclosed yesterday.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that between 1985 and 1996 the number of new lung cancer cases among men in England and Wales fell by 24 per cent to 21,700. In contrast, the number of cases among women increased by 12 per cent over the same period to 12,300.

The British Lung Foundation blamed the increasing numbers of women smokers on the dramatic rise in women with lung cancer.