CASES OF LUNG CANCER IN WOMEN DOUBLE

Experts in Spain continue to recommend the rejection of cigarettes because it reduces the risk of cancer.

Their calls come on the back of figures released by Madrid’s MD Anderson Cancer Center showing that of the approximately 24,500 new cases diagnosed in 2012 in Spain, 5,200 are women, representing an increase of 49% from 2006 but what the MD Anderson Cancer Center, find particularly disappointing, despite a multitude of press, is that many Spanish are strting smoking later in life as the number of smokers continues to rise.

Lung cancer currently represents 13% of all cancer diagnoses and is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. However, while deaths from the four most common cancers – lung, breast, prostrate and colorectal are declining, cases of lung cancer among Spanish women continue to rise.

This week the authorities hope to raise awareness about this disease because, although there are factors such as personal history, lung disease and some occupations that expose workers to certain chemicals, the main risk factors are preventable, the main one of which is smoking.

Dr. José Miguel Sánchez Torres, medical oncologist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center of Madrid said that 15% of all smokers develop lung cancer and, far from what many people believe, the occasional cigarette does not reduce the risk of autism.

Experts recommend the stopping of smoking as soon as possible, since “quitting significantly decreases the risk of developing lung cancer, so that after fifteen years of giving up the likelihood of contracting the disease is no greater than that of nonsmokers. However, doctors are still extremely upbeat and say that this type of disease is treatable at every stage.

The emphasise that available treatments will usually improve the quality of life of patients and prolong their rate of survival.