Lung Cancer Cases among UK Women on the Rise - Study

Lung cancer cases continue to rise in women with more than 18,000 UK women diagnosed with the disease in 2009, according to a new report. The number was less than 8000 in 1975.

Researchers from the Cancer Research UK have found that cancer rates have risen from 22.2 in 1975 to 39.3 for every 100,000 UK women.

New figures also revealed that the total number of UK lung cancer deaths were around 35,000 in 2010. Among the 35,000 people died, 19,410 were men and 15,449 were women.

"These latest figures highlight the deadly impact of tobacco. The continuing rise of lung cancer in women reflects the high number of female smokers several decades ago when attitudes were different. Tobacco advertising hasn't appeared on UK television since 1965, but that didn't stop the marketing of cigarettes. New, more sophisticated marketing techniques have lured many hundreds of thousands into starting an addiction that will kill half of all long term smokers," said Jean King, director of tobacco control at the Cancer Research UK, in a statement

However, the study found out that there is a decrease in the cancer rates among men even though the disease is still common among men and had 23,000 confirmed cases in 2009.

Male lung cancer incidence is now 58.8 per 100,000 UK men compared with 110 in 1975.

There is a significant reduction in the smoking habits of British women, according to the researchers. Smoking rates for women in Great Britain were highest in 1960s, with around 45 percent of women smoking. Now more than half of them have quit smoking.

Lung cancer rates peaked during the late seventies which could be attributed to the smoking habits of men during World War II and the 1940's.

More than 65 percent of men smoked during World War II and throughout the rest of the 1940s.

In 1979, more than 100 men out of every 100,000 were affected by lung cancer. Now, only 22 per cent of men are smokers.

Researchers have suggested several anti smoking measures that should be under taken to eradicate smoking such as ban on tobacco advertising and smoking in public places.

"Lung cancer continues to claim far too many lives. More than four in five cases of the disease are caused directly by smoking. But this means nearly one in five cases is not. It's really important that anyone with a cough that lasts for three weeks or a worsening or a change in a long-standing cough get this checked out," said Sara Hiom, Information Director at the Cancer Research UK, in a statement.