gms | German Medical Science

In industrial countries cigarette smoking is the most common single cause for cancer death. Compared to non-smokers, smokers have an incidence of cancer death, which is twice as high. 90% of the carcinoma of organs that are in direct contact with tobacco smoke, such as the oral cavity, larynx, lungs and oesophagus are caused by inhalation of tobacco smoke. In smokers, other organs such as pancreas, bladder, kidney, uterus and bone marrow also develop malignant tumors more often than in non-smokers. With the increase of smoking in women, their incidence of tobacco caused cancer is rising as well. Italian and Swiss authors published in 2005 the results of a study which examined trends over the last four decades in 33 counties. In the 25 EU countries mortality of female lung cancer rose by over a fifth (23,8%) between the early 1980s and the early 1990s-up from 7,8 to 9,6 per 100000. From the early 1990s it rose by a further 16% to reach 11,2 per 100000 in the year 2000-2001. This tendency is confirmed by the observations of a specialised clinic in Germany (Thoraxklinik Heidelberg). The percentage of women among the lung cancer patients (n total: 7414) rose from 15% to 25% between 1987 and 2000. The increase in small cell lung cancer from 18% to 32% was particularly marked. However, clinical studies confirm a favourable prognostic factor of the femalesex in lung cancer survival. This may be explaned by differences in molcular genetics of men and women.