Rates of lung cancer in young women and girls is soaring, new data reveals — and doctors are unsure of what’s behind the mystery explosion.
Figures from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) show cases of the disease has risen by 130 per cent in females under 24-years-old over the past few decades.
This makes them the fastest growing group at risk of the disease across both sexes — although over-70s are still most likely to be diagnosed.
In contrast, rates among men of the same age have barley budged during this time, for reasons that medics say are simply unknown.
Cancer experts have now warned against viewing lung cancer as ‘an old person’s disease’ — as it was previously seen.
Young women were also urged not to dismiss a persistent cough — the main symptom of the disease — at this time of year, when colds are rife.
Experts told MailOnline one of the reasons for alarm is that many of these cases are are among women who have never smoked.
This means it is almost impossible for medics to provide any advice on how younger women can minimise their risk.
Rates of lung cancer in young women and girls is soaring, new data reveals — and doctors are unsure of what’s behind the mystery explosion
Professor Karol Sikora, a world-renowned oncologist with over 40 years’ experience, said the unexplained rise was ‘concerning and worrying’ as medics had ‘no idea’ what was causing the increase.
He added it was part of general increase of rising cancer incidence in young people, although not not as dramatic as that seen in colon cancer, which he suspected was due to some complex interaction with as yet undetermined environmental factors.
‘The only thing one can think of is changes in diet, and changes in exercise habits, changes in work patterns,’ he said.
But citing US-research, with American medics also observing a similar increase, he said the most obvious cause, smoking was probably not a factor.
‘Smoking is discounted because the biggest rises have been seen in non-smoking women,’ he said.
Official data also suggests smoking rates among young women are on the decline.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics suggests 8 per cent of women aged 18-to-24 smoke, down from nearly one in four about a decade ago.
Some experts have suggested a surge in vaping could be responsible, citing a rise in use of devices among young women, with nearly one in 10 now saying they use the devices.
Cancer experts have now warned against viewing lung cancer as ‘an old person’s disease’ — as it was previously seen. Young women were also urged not to dismiss a persistent cough — the main symptom of the disease — at this time of year, when colds are rife
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Professor Sikora said this was an intriguing theory but only one of many experts are exploring.
He added that this uncertainty made it impossible to give reliable advice on how people can minimise their risk.
‘The problem is you’ve got no public health advice to give and you can’t identify which people might be most at risk,’ he said.
One potential cause, repeatedly touted online, is Covid jabs are somehow behind a rise in cancer incidences have not been proven.
Experts have repeatedly highlighted that data showing rises in cancer cases like the one observed for lung cancer only go up to 2018, years before the vaccines were invented.
Professor Sikora added it was critical to remember that lung cancer still, despite a 129 per cent increase, remained on the whole rare among young women, with only a ‘handful of cases’ per year.
However, he said this doesn’t mean people shouldn’t ignore the potential symptoms and urged young women not to dismiss a lingering cough at this time of year as routine winter cough.
‘If you have what you think is the flu and it hasn’t cleared up in two weeks go see a GP,’ he said.
Lung cancer kills some 35,000 Brits each year, about four every hour. However, rates of the disease have declined some 9 per cent since 90s across the population as a whole
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Lung cancer kills some 35,000 Brits each year, about four every hour.
However, rates of the disease have declined some 9 per cent since 90s across the population as a whole.
Symptoms of lung cancer include a persistent cough that doesn’t go away after three weeks, repeated chest infections, coughing up blood, pain while breathing, persistent breathlessness and fatigue, and unexpected weight loss.
Other, more unusual signs of lung cancer include change in the appearance of your fingers, difficulty or pain swallowing, wheezing, changes in your voice, and swelling of the face or neck.
Anyone with any of these signs is urged to see their GP.
CRUK data suggests that, overall, one in 13 British women and one in 14 men will get lung cancer in their lifetime.
The vast majority of cases of the disease, about four in five, are thought to be preventable.
An estimated 72 per cent of all cases of lung disease in the UK are thought to be caused by smoking.
Another 8 per cent is thought to be triggered by long-term exposure to air pollution, such as that caused by vehicle emissions.
