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In Sweden, the number of people who smoke has decreased very sharply but the number of lung cancer cases in the population is not decreasing as much as expected. In fact, lung cancer among women has increased. These analysis are shown in a new study at Umea University, Sweden. The study emphasizes how long smoking affects health.
According to the data, in 1960s, about one in two Swedish men between the ages of 18 and 69 smoked and women generally started smoking later in history. In the year 1963, a large study showed that slightly more than one in ten women, aged 50-69 smoked. The risk of developing lung cancer sharply and quickly decreases after quitting smoking. But, according to the new research, it showed that the risk of developing it varied greatly depending on the lung cancer type, age and gender.
The Umea researchers have compared the change in smoking habits in Sweden from 1950s with Incidence of lung cancer between 1970 and 2021 in men and women aging between 40 to 84 years. According to the previous studies, squamous cell cancer has strongest association with smoking. It would have expected that the cancer risk would have decreased among elderly as well. But lung cancer was as common in 1970 as in 2021 among of 75-79 years old. The risk of squamous cell cancer had increased among women in age group of 75-79 years to same level as among men. Although there are large differences in smoking habits among men and women in the 1970s, but the risk was similar for both.
“These results should certainly not be interpreted as it is useless to quit smoking. On the contrary, the study emphasizes the importance of quitting early, preferably never starting, as it may be the case that the risk of lung cancer is elevated for longer than we previously thought,” says Bengt Järvholm.
This new study has its own limitations and does not provide an answer as to why lung cancer development does not correspond well with the expectations. For that, more research and studies are required to be carries out. The study is based on data from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s cancer registry, which was compared with statistics on tobacco smoking from surveys and sale of cigarettes.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only.
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