Study: Tobacco Carcinogens Are More Dangerous to Women

The carcinogens in cigarettes appear to be more dangerous to women than men, according to new research from Switzerland.

Science Daily reported May 3 that researchers who studied lung-cancer patients found that women developed cancer at a younger age than men, even though female patients reported smoking fewer cigarettes on average than men.

The findings indicate that women may be more susceptible to the carcinogens in cigarettes than men, said researcher Martin Frueh and colleagues. The results add to previous research suggesting that smoking cigarettes is more harmful to women than men.

“Lung cancer is not only a man’s disease, but women tend to be much more aware of other cancers, such as breast cancer,” said Enriqueta Felip of Val d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, who co-chaired the conference.

The researchers presented their findings at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology in Lugano, Switzerland.