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Female sex and lung cancer risk in two large screening cohorts

  • 0Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Respiratory Medicine +

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September 25, 2025

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September 25, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Women and men have similar lung cancer risks, challenging previous assumptions. This finding suggests lung cancer screening efforts should equally target both sexes in relevant demographics.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background

  • Epidemiological studies present conflicting data on sex-based lung cancer susceptibility.
  • Previous research has not definitively established whether women are more vulnerable to lung cancer than men.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate and compare lung cancer incidence rates between men and women across different smoking statuses and pack-year strata.
  • To inform lung cancer screening guidelines by clarifying sex-based risk differences.

Main Methods

  • Analysis of data from 154,897 participants in the Prostate-Lung-Colon-Ovary (PLCO) trial and 53,452 participants in the National-Lung-Screening-Trial (NLST).
  • Calculation of female-to-male lung cancer incidence rate ratios (IRR) using Poisson regression, adjusting for known risk factors.
  • Stratification of analyses by smoking status (never-smokers vs. ever-smokers) and pack-years smoked.

Main Results

  • Among never-smokers in PLCO, women showed similar lung cancer rates to men (IRR: 1.23).
  • For ever-smokers across various pack-year groups in both PLCO and NLST trials, adjusted analyses revealed comparable lung cancer incidence between sexes.
  • A notably lower risk was observed in women smoking 100+ pack-years in the PLCO trial (IRR: 0.66).

Conclusions

  • In individuals over 55 years old, women exhibit similar lung cancer risk compared to men, irrespective of smoking history.
  • Current lung cancer screening strategies, policies, and awareness campaigns should equally consider both men and women within these demographic groups.

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