Lung cancer death rate among European women continues to rise
In most European countries, the mortality rate among women dying of lung cancer has continued to increase. However, the trend weakened somewhat in some countries, particularly in younger age groups, report Cristina Bosetti of the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute in Milan and her colleagues.
The scientists had analyzed the developments of the last four decades in 33 countries, including all 25 EU states. In the latter, they determined an increase in mortality of almost a quarter (23.8 percent) for the period from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. In the following decade, mortality climbed another 16 percent, to 11.2 per 100,000 women in 2001. In the US, it is 24 per 100,000 women.
What is hopeful is the observation that the mortality rate among young women is increasing less than among older women and is even declining in some countries such as Ireland, Great Britain, Austria, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland, explains Bosetti.
Lung cancer is still the most common cancer in men. Although the mortality rate has been falling for a number of years, it is still higher than for women at 46.7 per 100,000 men.
