Types of lung cancer: Differences between men and women

Lung cancer is the 2nd most common disease in both men and women. It is by far the leading cause of cancer death in both sexes, accounting for nearly 25% of all cancer deaths.

Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer and the 2nd most common form of cancer for both men and women. It affects more women than breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers.
Men and women share the same risk factors for lung cancer. This is especially true when they have chronic exposure to secondhand smoke, which accounts for 85% to 90% of lung cancer diagnoses across the board. The symptoms of lung cancer in women are almost the same as in men.
However, beyond these similarities, there are some major differences that may affect the prognosis and treatment of this deadly disease. Overall, out of 15 men there is a 1 in 17 chance of developing lung cancer and for women it is 1 in 17. These numbers apply to all smokers and non-smokers. For smokers the risk is much higher than for non-smokers.

Although men and women are equally susceptible to lung cancer, they are not equally susceptible to lung cancers. There are two main types of lung cancer, small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer is generally the fastest and most aggressive type.
There are three different types of non-small cell lung cancer namely adenocarcinoma , squamous cell lung cancer and large cell lung cancer. When a woman develops lung cancer, they are more likely to develop adenocarcinoma than men. On the other hand, men are more likely than women to develop squamous cell lung cancer, which is the most common cancer among smokers.
A key difference between these lung cancers is that squamous cells produce more symptoms and are easier to detect, so they have a better chance of an early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is one of the greatest predictors of survival in cancer treatment.

Smoking is the highest risk factor for developing lung cancer. This risk factor affects men and women differently. There is still no consensus by medical experts as to why women who smoke are more likely to develop small cell lung cancer, have DNA damage and are less able to repair damage caused by smoking. drugs than male smokers. It is also unclear why women who do not smoke are more likely to develop adenocarcinoma, are more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age, and are more likely to be diagnosed with atopic disease. than men.

The death rate from lung cancer in women is increasing gradually while the mortality rate in men is gradually leveling off. Depending on how the disease is diagnosed, the usual treatment for lung cancer for both women and men is surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. However, the survival rate after treatment was not the same between female and male patients.
Research shows that the average survival time in women will be 2 years longer than in men. The risk of death in women is 14% lower than in men. Women respond to chemotherapy better than men. This is great news for female lung cancer patients, but they also face problems that men don't, including, a higher chance of developing small cell lung cancer in women. women are taller than men. They are three times more likely to carry genetic mutations that exacerbate tumors than men

There is currently no satisfactory explanation in the medical community for these differences between male lung cancer patients and female lung cancer patients. Potential reasons include, hormonal factors such as estrogen exposure, age of smoking initiation because women tend to smoke later, women are more likely to start treatment earlier due to schooling trends in health care, genetics and lifestyle factors
Although lung cancer is more common in men, that gap is narrowing. Women may be more negatively affected by the dangers of smoking. In addition, certain hormonal factors can aggravate and promote cancer growth. Although the overall incidence of lung cancer is decreasing over time, the incidence of the subtype of adenocarcinoma is increasing.
Lung cancer screening is the most effective measure for you to detect and promptly treat lung cancer, protect your health and life. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has a lung cancer screening package with many outstanding advantages such as: A team of highly qualified and experienced doctors; Having a full range of specialized facilities for diagnosis and staging before treatment: Endoscopy, CT scan, PET-CT scan, MRI, histopathological diagnosis, genetic - cytological testing... Having a full range of mainstream cancer treatment methods: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant.... will help customers screen the disease effectively and have timely treatment if detected. present illness.

References: healthline.com, cancer.org