Lung cancer increase in women and remote areas
10 December 2001
The number of women dying from lung cancer in New South Wales has increased almost 200 per cent over the past few decades as a result of smoking, but the number of deaths may have reached a peak, according to a new report released today by The Cancer Council New South Wales.
Dr Andrew Penman, CEO of The Cancer Council, says lung cancer deaths among women may start to fall over the next few years reflecting the decrease in female smoking rates over the past 20 years.
'However, for lung cancer deaths to begin to fall among women, we need to ensure that smoking rates also continue to fall. We also shouldn't forget that lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer.'
Remote areas
The report, entitled Lung Cancer in NSW in 1973 to 1998, also reveals the disease is higher in more remote areas. Between the mid 1970s and mid 1990s, lung cancer rates among men fell in metropolitan areas and regional centres, but rose in more remote areas.
In women, the rates doubled in metropolitan areas and major regional centres and tripled in more remote areas.
'Higher rates of lung cancer were also recorded in the lower socio-economic areas, including parts of Sydney and in far western NSW. We know from previous studies that this is directly related to the higher rates of smoking in these areas', Dr Penman said.
Preventable
'It's distressing that the overwhelming majority of lung cancers are preventable and that it's one of the hardest cancers to treat and one of the most deadly.
Guilty
The Cancer Council also reports that smokers with lung cancer feel guilty about their diagnosis and many fail to seek treatment.
'Smokers tend to blame themselves for developing lung cancer and many don't seek proper treatment because they think it's futile,' said Dr Penman.
One study revealed that 25 per cent of lung cancer patients did not receive any treatment. According to Dr Penman, as few as 11 per cent of lung cancer patients in Australia survive 5 or more years after diagnosis, compared with about 15 per cent in the USA.
Last Reviewed: 18 December 2001
