Are lung cancer symptoms the same for men and women?

Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women in the United States, with more than 120,000 people expected to die from it this year. However, lung cancer may appear differently in men and women.

About 1 in 17 women will develop lung cancer in their lifetime. Women who have never smoked — which is defined as having had fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime — are twice as likely to get lung cancer as men who never smoked. The most common type of lung cancer found in women who have never smoked is lung adenocarcinoma.

“Regardless of sex, smoking can be harmful for all types of lung cancer,” says Dr. Gaurav Khanna, a pulmonologist with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital. “Additionally, secondhand smoke can increase lung cancer risk by 30%.”

Lung cancer and female nonsmokers

While smoking is the number one risk factor for developing lung cancer, 20% of lung cancer diagnoses occur in nonsmokers. Additionally, among people with smoking histories, women have a greater chance of getting lung cancer than men.

What's more, younger women aged 30 to 49 are getting diagnosed with lung cancer at higher rates than men. Although researchers do not know the exact reason, some suspect genetics or hormones may play a role.

Symptoms of lung cancer

Dr. Khanna says both men and women should pay close attention to their bodies and watch for other lung cancer symptoms, such as:

• Trouble breathing

• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

• Persistent coughing or infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis

• Coughing up blood

• Unexplained weight loss

• Fatigue

Screening options for people with a history of smoking include low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). LDCT screening is recommended yearly for people who have a certain smoking history (current smokers or those who have quit smoking with the past 15 years and have a 20 pack-year history or more) and are between 50 and 80 years old.

During LDCT, you lie on a table that slides through a doughnut-shaped scanner while it rotates around you. Advanced imaging captures detailed cross sectional “slices” of the lungs, spotting growths as small as a grain of rice. The exam is painless and usually finishes in about ten minutes.

Although the scan uses X-rays, the dose is low — about the same amount of natural background radiation most people receive over six months. For most eligible people, the benefit of early detection far outweighs this very small risk.

Dr. Khanna adds that even if someone has never smoked or lacks a family history of lung cancer, they should consult their doctor to discuss any symptoms and concerns. “It is ideal to catch lung cancer as soon as possible because if the type is advanced, it can spread to various parts of the body, such as the brain, lymph nodes, bones or liver,” he says.

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