Antismoking Info Must Start Early, Target Minorities, Young Women

BETHESDA, Md--Between 1960 and 1990, there has been a greater than 400%increase in deaths from lung cancer in women. "Women now account forabout 45% of all new cases of lung cancer, a proportion that was only about20% to 25% in the 1970s," said James Jett, MD, co-director of theLung Cancer Program at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Jett, along with other lung cancer experts, participated in a videoconference at the National Institutes of Health. The program, supportedby a grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology and satellite-transmittedto 20 viewing sites nationwide, focused on the need for smoking preventionand earlier detection.

According to National Cancer Institute data, lung-cancer-related deathsin women rose 6% in the last five years, while in men during this timeperiod, the death rate dropped by 6%.

"The general population does not realize how many women get lungcancer, or how widespread this disease is among women," said DianeBlum, MSW, executive director of Cancer Care, Inc., a conference co-sponsor."Younger people feel particularly invulnerable to disease, so healthcare professionals need to go an extra step to educate young women to thedangers of lung cancer."

Dr. Jett noted that many smokers being treated for lung cancer startedsmoking at age 12 or 13. "Clearly, this is a tragedy," he stated,emphasizing that education must begin very early in a child's development,with parents and physicians working together to make the message clear:Lung cancer is a lethal disease.

High Death Rates in Minorities

"We must stress that smokers have a 25-fold higher risk of developinglung cancer than nonsmokers," said Edith Perez, MD, director of clinicaltrials at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. "In addition to education,early detection, including minority groups, is paramount for more successfultreatment."

American Lung Association data indicate that the lung cancer death rateis 80.8 per 100,000 African-American males, compared with 54.0 per 100,000white males.

Other panelists noted that approximately 80% of lung cancer cases arenot diagnosed until the disease has reached an advanced stage. The AmericanCancer Society estimates that in 1997, roughly 160,000 people will dieof lung cancer, more deaths than from prostate, breast, and colorectalcancers combined.