Women’s lung cancer cases hit 20,000

Cases of lung cancer in women have reached 20,000 a year in the UK for the first time since records began, according to new Cancer Research UK statistics. Lung cancer rates in women have increased by 22%, soaring from around 14,200 cases diagnosed around 20 years ago. Despite falling smoking rates, the number of lung cancer cases are yet to fall in women. This reflects different patterns in smoking behaviour, with men’s smoking peaking in the 1940s while women’s peaked around the 1970s. As lung cancer cases continue to climb, much more needs to be done to tackle the poor long-term