Lung cancer deadlier for men nonsmokers

Lung cancer deadlier for men nonsmokers
Men who have never smoked are more likely to die from lung cancer than women nonsmokers, researchers reported.

They found that male nonsmokers were about 25 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than women nonsmokers even though they developed the disease at similar rates. Men who had never smoked had a 1.1 percent risk of dying from lung cancer, compared to 0.8 percent for the women, the study found. This compares to about 22 percent among men who smoke and 12 percent of women who smoke. The study in North America, Europe and Asia was the largest ever done on nonsmokers and lung cancer. "Lung cancer is a significant public health and medical problem even beyond the overwhelming disease burden caused by tobacco smoking," Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society, who led the study, said in a telephone interview. Thun said it is unclear why male nonsmokers are more likely to die from lung cancer than women. "That's an interesting and unresolved question," he said.