Gender and lung cancer

There is no question that lung cancer is a major health problem for women in the United States. Cigarette smoking remains one of the most important risk factors for the development of lung cancer in men and women. Although the prevalence of lung cancer in men has been decreasing, it has been increasing in women. The most likely reason for this is that since 1980, the prevalence of smoking among women has increased significantly [1]. This is of major concern because epidemologic data suggest that women may be more susceptible to developing lung cancer than men.