According to a new report published by the New England Journal of Medicine, women from the age of 30 to 49 face a higher risk of getting lung cancer. This is in comparison to men from the same age group.
In the past, men have always had a higher chance of contracting lung cancer than their female counterpart. This is most likely because there is a higher number of male smokers. However, the situation started to change around the 70s. At the time, many cigarette brands directed their advertising efforts towards women. They frequently associate the act of smoking a cigarette with the women’s liberation movement. An example of this can be seen from the slogan “You’ve come a long way, baby” by Philip Morris. This is one of the most notable commercial by the Virginia Slims that debuted in 1968, just shortly prior to the start of the 70s.
Ahmedin Jemal is the scientific vice president of the Surveillance and Health Services Research program at the American Cancer Society. It was the organization that has published the research with the National Cancer Institute. He attested to the role these commercials played in the increased number of girls and women who smoked cigarettes. He believes that the advertisements targeted at women have “definitely contributed to this”. “This” is in reference to the six percent of teenage girls – at high school level – who were smoking in addition to the 13 percent of women.
While these efforts were proven to be rather fruitful, seeing as how an increased number of women overall were picking up the nasty habit, they were still less likely to smoke in comparison to their male counterparts. Even in the 1990s when the smoking rate for women increased visibly because of the strong advertising techniques practiced by tobacco companies, the rate subsequently reached a pit-stop and finally lowered again, as indicated by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
While the numbers are relatively close, statistics have shown that white women and Hispanic women faced a higher lung cancer rate whereas African Americans and Asians or Pacific Islanders do not have a lung cancer rate as high.
The lung cancer incidence is described as the number of cases of lung cancer per a hundred thousand women in a year. It was 8 percent higher in women who were between the ages of 44 and 49 from 2010 to 2014. However, from the mid 90s to the end of the 90s, the lung cancer incidence for women was 26 percent less than in men (between 44 to 49).
Of course, we can safely presume that there are other factors at play for the increased number of lung cancer cases in women, aside from smoking.
Jemal further elaborates his knowledge in this matter in an interview with Buzzfeed News.
We have three hypotheses of what may have contributed to this.”
For one thing, women are more likely to continue using tobacco once they begin. Adenocarcinoma is a different type of lung cancer. When you quit, you reduce the risk of lung cancer by 25% within the first five years, 50% in ten years and 90% after two decades. While the risk of lung cancer will be vastly reduced once you quit smoking, adenocarcinoma does not work the same. It takes a significantly longer duration to lower the risk. What’s worse is that adenocarcinoma is more likely to occur to women then to men. Jemal also states the possibility of a higher susceptibility of women towards the adverse health effects of smoking.
Over the years, new inventions and creations have caused this bad habit to become much more detrimental. For instance, with the “light” version of several cigarettes, smokers have resorted to taking larger inhalations with an increased frequency. This subsequently leads to smoking more, per say. As such, the relative risk of lung cancer caused as a result of smoking has become 25 times more than non-smokers.
Fortunately, fewer people in their 30s to 50s are getting lung cancer in this day and age. This is because there is a reduced number of people who are smoking now. This is attributable to the avid campaigns on the adverse effects on smoking circling around. Nonetheless, more than 25 percent of cancer deaths in the United States are still a result of smoking. Hence, it is always important to bear in mind the negative consequences that comes at a high risk.
Like Jemal says, “”Quitting at any age is beneficial, but it’s best if you quit at younger ages. Smokers have to seek quitting services — you have to ask for counseling and treatment.”
If at any point in which you may have thought about quitting, but have convinced yourself that it is far too late, you’re wrong! Here’s what research have shown.
Quitting in your 60s may prolong your life by 3 to 4 years. Subsequently, quitting in your 50s may give you an additional 5 years. For anyone younger than that, quitting in your 30s is highly probable to increase your lifespan by 10 whole years!
Of course, these numbers are calculated based on the average figures. This means that you could even be looking at additional years beyond that! What are you waiting for? Put those cancer sticks away and quit now!
Featured image via flickr/ simpleinsomnia
