• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
HealthLung Cancer

Lung Cancer Rates Are Higher in Women Than Men for the First Time Ever. Scientists Don’t Know Why

By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 24, 2018, 5:03 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

For the first time, women are more likely to get lung cancer than men.

That’s according to a new study by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Historically, men have had a higher rate of lung cancer, due in large part to men being more likely to be cigarette smokers. That remained true through the ‘90s—between 1995 and 1999, the number of cases of lung cancer per 100,000 women per year was 26% lower than for men. The same age group, 44 to 49, saw a change starting in 2010: the incidence of lung cancer was suddenly 8% higher in women than men. This was particularly true for non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women.

Before you start to worry, though, the overall rate of lung cancer has actually decreased in both groups. The difference is that the declines have been more marked in men than women. But while women have begun to take up smoking at a higher rate than before, the researchers have not found that smoking patterns fully explain the change.

They do have at least one hypothesis. The risk of developing lung cancer drops after one quits smoking: by 25% in the first five years, 50% after ten, and as much as 90% after more than 20 years of not smoking. But the risk for one type of lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, drops more slowly than the others—and women are more likely to to develop adenocarcinoma than men.

Approximately 10% of men and 15% women who develop lung cancer have never smoked—meaning that it’s also possible that women could be more susceptible to non-smoking-related lung cancer, reports Buzzfeed.

The researchers examined nationwide data on the incidence of lung cancer according to sex, race or ethnic group, age, year of diagnosis, and year of birth. This included all cases of invasive lung cancer diagnosed in people ages 30 to 54 from 1995 to 2014 across 46 states and Washington, D.C.

About the Author
By Natasha Bach
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

‘I was one of those children’: Utah revokes license of the boarding school where Paris Hilton says she was abused
Asiautah
‘I was one of those children’: Utah revokes license of the boarding school where Paris Hilton says she was abused
By The Associated PressJuly 7, 2026
3 hours ago
Around 2.6 million fewer Americans have affordable healthcare access plan as affordability becomes top issue ahead of midterms
North AmericaAmerican Politics
Around 2.6 million fewer Americans have affordable healthcare access plan as affordability becomes top issue ahead of midterms
By The Associated Press and Ali SwensonJuly 7, 2026
3 hours ago
McConnell “continuing his recovery” after hospitalization as Senate Republicans grapple with slim majority ahead of midterms
PoliticsAmerican Politics
McConnell “continuing his recovery” after hospitalization as Senate Republicans grapple with slim majority ahead of midterms
By The Associated Press and Mary Clare JalonickJuly 7, 2026
3 hours ago
Landline phone orders spiked 277% this summer. Blame your smartphone bill
Retailsmartphones and mobile devices
Landline phone orders spiked 277% this summer. Blame your smartphone bill
By Vidhi Choudhary and Retail BrewJuly 7, 2026
3 hours ago
Despite a $220 million net worth, Rafael Nadal says he won’t retire because he hates waking up to no plans—so he’s opened a chain of hotels instead
SuccessCareers
Despite a $220 million net worth, Rafael Nadal says he won’t retire because he hates waking up to no plans—so he’s opened a chain of hotels instead
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 7, 2026
10 hours ago
Medical workers wear protecting coverings that are white and yellow.
PoliticsDOGE
‘The risks are growing and the resources are shrinking’: Experts blame DOGE cuts for intensifying the Ebola outbreak, which has killed more than 500
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 6, 2026
20 hours ago

Most Popular

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
2 days ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 6, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 6, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 6, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 6, 2026
1 day ago
The man who ran Bernie's campaign says Democrats are still making the same mistakes with Democratic Socialists, and they should laud Mamdani's win
Politics
The man who ran Bernie's campaign says Democrats are still making the same mistakes with Democratic Socialists, and they should laud Mamdani's win
By Catherina GioinoJuly 6, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.