Lung Cancer Risks in Women

Course overview

Lung cancer kills more women than breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer combined, but is rarely perceived as a womens health issue. While it would be simple to attribute the rising numbers to increases in smoking among younger women, increasing numbers of women who have never smoked are diagnosed with lung cancer. Emerging evidence now suggests genetics, biology, and hormones may contribute to women's increased incidence of lung cancer. Nurses and other healthcare professionals are responsible for increasing awareness of risk factors and prevention strategies to address the rise in lung cancer among women. You should aggressively promote smoking cessation, encourage screening for patients identified as high risk, and advocate for additional funding for lung cancer research.