Blog 6: Lung Cancer in UK Women Rises by 73%

Summary:
Since the 1960's the number of men who smoke has been on a steady decrease, but the number of women didn't really decrease until the 1970s. Since about 1975, the rates of lung cancer have decreased a significant 20% in the UK. In 2011, the number of lung cancer cases was 43,500. It was the men of the UK that comprised 23,800 cases women 19,500 cases. The number of deaths from this cancer in the UK was 35,200. A disease that greatly affected men, is now impacting and taking the lives of more women than ever before. In the last 40 years lung cancer in women has almost doubled and the UK has the highest rates in all the world. In 87% of these cases smoking is the causing factor, and this is an avoidable and treatable issue. Sara Hiom is the director of early diagnosis of cancer research. She believes that if people were to visit the Dr. as soon as they felt the onset of symptoms physicians can better treat the cancer.

Analysis:
 It is important to recognize the severity of this issue. Smoking has been causing issues for years and it is beginning to effect the lives of many across the UK. Lung cancer is a painful disease that targets the fragile lung tissue. It will deteriorate and make it hard to eat, swallow, or even make it hard to simply breathe. In the UK, it's the men that have led with the most cases of this disease but in the last 40 years the number of women with lung cancer has almost doubled. This is astounding and scary, however the majority of them is again due to smoking. This disease is treatable and as experts say, "the attitudes that lung cancer is a death sentence must change." At the moment this attitude is hard to find, because less than 10% of people who have lung cancer cannot survive up to 5 years after diagnosis. It is our job to protect our bodies from danger and next time we think about lighting up a cigarette we should think about these astounding numbers in the UK. These numbers aren't far from our numbers in the United States and we should be aware of what we put into our bodies. It is also important to go to the doctor as soon as you feel the onset of lung cancer symptoms. That way the treatment can start sooner and the chance of remission can increase. Awareness of this disease is important and everyone should know the eminent threat this poses to men and women who smoke, and those who work in places conducive to this disease.

Source:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26659696