June 19, 2018&mdash; For years, the number of new lung cancer cases has been higher in men than in women. But a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that trend may be shifting for some women. 

It found that lung cancer rates are now higher among white and Hispanic women in their 30s and 40s than they are for men of the same ages and ethnicities. 

Overall, lung cancer diagnoses have declined for about the past 20 years, but less so for women than for men, according to the study. Among some women born since the mid-1960s, that's resulted in a reversal of the pattern in which lung cancer rates are higher among men, the research showed.

Lung cancer rates have historically been higher for men than women because smoking also has been more common among men, beginning at earlier ages and averaging more cigarettes per day. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. In recent decades, though, women's smoking behaviors have begun to resemble men's. But the researchers said that doesn't fully explain the study's findings, since women still smoke less than men. 

More research is needed to understand why lung cancer rates are higher among some women, the researchers noted. But one possible explanation is that women could be more susceptible than men to smoking's health hazards. Another theory put forth is that women and men may be getting different kinds of lung cancer.

The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=cancersoc">American Cancer Society</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=nci">National Cancer Institute</a> supported the study. For more on the findings, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1715907">read the study's abstract</a>. 

It's no secret that smoking is dangerous for everyone. If you smoke, it's not too late to quit. 
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Lung cancer rates now higher among some women versus men