The number of women living with lung cancer in the UK is set to grow significantly faster than the number of men with the disease by 2040, researchers say.
Experts at the Macmillan Cancer Support estimates the rise of lung cancer in women to be 35 times faster than in men within the next 30 years, almost quadrupling from around 26,000 in 2010 to around 95,000 in 2040. The study said it will be in stark contrast to just an eight percent increase in men (around 39,000 in 2010 to around 42,000 in 2040).
"By 2040 fewer than half (47 percent) of women with lung cancer will be long-term survivors (alive at least 5 years from diagnosis) compared with three-fifths (59 percent) of men," the study said.
Lung cancer kills more number of people in the UK than any other forms of cancer. However, the study says lung cancer gets just a quarter of the research funding given to breast cancer. 80 percent of lung cancer cases are related to tobacco use.
"The number of people in the UK living with lung cancer will have doubled by 2040 (from around 65,000 in 2010 to around 137,000). The overall increase in lung cancer is mainly due to an ageing population," reveals the analysis by King's College London for Macmillan.
"For most cancers in the UK we are looking at how we can cope with a population of long-term survivors with health complications. With lung cancer we are a long way from even being able to consider these issues," Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support said.
