These factors are associated with a higher risk of lung cancer in women

2023-09-12 17:03:52

Key reproductive factors such as early menopause, shortened reproductive duration, and young age at first birth are associated with elevated risks of lung cancer in women. This is shown by a study presented at the World Lung Cancer Conference 2023.

273,190 people participated in the study. UK Biobank and their goal was to delve deeper into the links between individual reproductive factors and the risk of developing lung cancer.

Specifically, it sought to identify potential risk factors and further analyze their impact on specific subgroups, including age, smoking, body mass index (BMI), genetic risk, and histological subtypes.

During a mean follow-up period of 12.0 years, 1,182 cases of lung cancer were recorded in women.

According to researchers at Hospital Xiangya (China), some reproductive factors showed an association with a higher risk of lung cancer incidence among women. These factors included early menarche (age ≤ 11 years), early menopause (age ≤ 46 years or age 47 to 49 years), a shorter reproductive duration (age ≤ 32 years or age 33 to 35 years) and a early age at first birth (≤ 20 years or age 21 to 25 years).

Stratified analysis revealed that some reproductive factors, especially early menopause, a lighter reproductive period, and early age at first birth, showed a substantially stronger association with an elevated risk of lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer. (NSCLC), in populations with high genetic risk. susceptibility and harmful behaviors.

“These findings are of utmost importance to our understanding of potential risk factors for lung cancer among women,” said lead researcher Y. Zhang. «Early menarche, early menopause, and shorter reproductive lifespan are associated with increased risks of lung cancer incidence, especially NSCLCin subpopulations with specific genetic risks and lifestyle choices.

This pioneering research emphasizes the importance of screening for multiple reproductive factors to identify potential lung cancer risk among female populations. By understanding these associations, specific preventive strategies and interventions can be developed to effectively combat lung cancer.