‘Women more prone to lung cancer than men’

Almost 18 per cent of women in the city are more prone to developing lung cancer compared to men because they consume tobacco in some or other form, reveals a survey.

Dr. Sewanti Limaye, consultant and medical oncology surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital said that not only smoke but indoor burning of unprocessed biomass fuels (wood, coal) also plays the major role in making women prone to lung cancer.

According to the research, female smokers are more likely to develop a specific genetic mutation which leads to lung adenocarcinoma, the most common histologic variant of lung cancer.

“The research has shown that women smokers are more likely to have KRAS G12C mutation and to develop lung cancer at a younger age,” said Dr. Limaye.

Exposure to tobacco in any form causes “field cancerisation effect” and smoking increases the chances of developing lung cancer by 20-30 per cent and it is one of the causes of female infertility.

“Passive smoking or second hand smoking increases the risk of lung, breast, nasal cavity and nasopharyngeal cancers in adults and blood cancers and brain tumours in children,” added Dr. Limaye.

The doctors said that smoking equally predisposes men and women to lung cancer.

In addition to smoking, indoor burning too plays a major role in making women prone to lung cancer.

“Such pollution has been associated with multiple respiratory problems, including an increase in the incidence of lung cancer. Women who are exposed to this smoke from cooking and heating are more susceptible than men to lung cancer,” Dr. Amita Nene, Head of Chest Department, Bombay hospital, said.

Smoking during the pregnancy increases complications like placenta Previa and placental abruption, which harms the life and health of both mother and child.

“Smoking increases risks for preterm (early) delivery, stillbirth (death of the baby before birth), low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome (known as SIDS or crib death) and ectopic pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy also causes complications with the placenta, (the organ through which nutrients pass from mother to foetus),” added Dr. Nene.

India stands third in female tobacco utilization and nearly 12 million women consume tobacco in some form or the other. Field cancerization (also termed as premalignant field defect) is a biological process in which large areas of cells at a tissue surface or within an organ are affected by a carcinogenic alteration(s)