Lung cancer screening in women

Women seem to have a special vulnerability to lung cancer, whether they smoke or not. Is it time to be tested?

Since the 1970s, we've come a long way toward parity with men. Unfortunately, when it comes to lung cancer, we're passing them by. Women who smoke are more likely to develop lung cancer than men the same age with an equivalent smoking history. Even women who've never smoked are at greater risk for lung cancer than their male counterparts. The disease is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women, claiming more lives than breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers combined.