{"id":55107,"date":"2025-10-30T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackhealthmatters.com\/?p=55107"},"modified":"2025-10-30T14:46:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:46:50","slug":"what-women-should-know-about-lung-cancer-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackhealthmatters.com\/what-women-should-know-about-lung-cancer-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What Women Should Know About Lung Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a woman in America, the cancer most likely to take your life isn\u2019t breast cancer. It\u2019s lung cancer<\/a>. And Black women face even greater risks.<\/p>\n

Despite its alarming toll, lung cancer remains overlooked, under-screened, and underfunded. Black women have higher death rates despite lower smoking rates. While lung cancer rates are declining among men, they continue to rise in women. And it\u2019s no longer just about smoking.<\/p>\n

Why Lung Cancer Deserves More Attention<\/h2>\n

According to the American Lung Association<\/a>, lung cancer causes more deaths than breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers combined. Yet public awareness remains low, and many women still believe they\u2019re too young or too healthy to be at risk.<\/p>\n

Black Americans are disproportionately affected. As reported by the American Cancer Society<\/a>, systemic barriers in screening, diagnosis, and treatment contribute to worse outcomes, even though Black communities smoke less on average.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what every woman needs to know about lung cancer.<\/p>\n

Lung Cancer Doesn\u2019t Care How Old You Are<\/h2>\n

Many women in their 20s and 30s still believe lung cancer is an older person\u2019s disease. But that\u2019s not the full story. While most diagnoses occur between ages 55 and 65, women under 50 are now being diagnosed at higher rates than men in the same age group. In fact, women younger than 45 are more likely than men to develop lung cancer, according to a report<\/a> published by the American Cancer Society.<\/p>\n

You Don\u2019t Have to Smoke to Be at Risk<\/h2>\n

Smoking remains the biggest risk factor, but it\u2019s not the only one. According to the CDC<\/a>, about 1 in 10 lung cancer cases occur in people who\u2019ve never smoked. And women who\u2019ve never smoked are still more likely than men to develop the disease. Exposure to radon, air pollution, and certain processed foods may also increase risk.<\/p>\n

If you do smoke, quitting is still the most powerful step you can take. But don\u2019t assume that being a nonsmoker means you\u2019re in the clear.<\/p>\n

Survival Rates Aren\u2019t Improving Fast Enough<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s the good news: five-year survival rates have doubled, rising from 13% to 27%, according to the Lung Cancer Initiative<\/a>. That\u2019s thanks to better screening, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy. But lung cancer still causes more deaths than any other cancer in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Women with lung cancer often face worse outcomes than men, especially when diagnosed late. Symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for other conditions. Watch for:<\/p>\n