Lung cancer is increasing in young people, especially women: one in 20 cases, 5.86%, under the age of 50, The relevant trend in the tumor being diagnosedOn average, at the age of 70 years, which is affected by genetic interaction with environmental factors.
The Secretary of the UN Security Council explained that “these environmental factors are mainly pollution caused by solid fuels, exposure to radon gas in certain geographical areas, and perhaps some degree of exposure to secondhand smoke.” Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP)oncologist Bartomeo Masotti.
On the occasion of World Lung Cancer Day, 17 November, this research group, made up of 700 specialists and 190 medical centers in Spain, presents Lung cancer data Which collects clinical and demographic information for more than 40,000 patients and requires greater public investment In search.
The largest group of patients (34.3%) It receives the diagnosis between 60 and 70 years of ageFollowed by those aged 70 to 80 years (28.2%) and those aged 50 to 60 years (18.95%). 7.71% of them were over 80 years old when this tumor was discovered, according to data from the GECP Thoracic Tumor Registry. 5% of them were between 40 and 50 years of age at the time of diagnosis and 0.86% were less than 40 years of age. And in this last group, those under 50 years of age, there are specialists They are monitoring an increase in cases, especially in Western countries“A minority trend but worthy of special attention,” the oncologist said.
“In the profile of these patients, the female gender predominates, while in lung cancer globally, There is a clear dominance of the male genderHe pointed out that the trend in Spain is towards a decrease in the number of men and a gradual and worrying increase in the number of women.
He determined that genetic predisposition to lung cancer does not come from a single gene, but rather The polygenic genomic risk profile is being determined, That is, with changes in the expression and methylation of various genes,” which may be related to family history and interaction with environmental factors.
The incidence is higher in women
Report Cancer numbers in Spain By 2025, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) confirms an increase in the number of lung cancer cases in women compared to previous years, with an estimate of 11,064 cases for 2025. As the third most common tumor in females This is due, above all, to the increase in tobacco consumption that has occurred since the 1970s.
The increase in incidence also occurs in “young non-smoking women with adenocarcinoma-type tumors or with treatable genetic mutations,” GECP President Mariano Provencio stressed in a press release. According to data from the Thoracic Tumor Registry, among 32,610 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, Majority subtype, 23,544 men (72.2%) and 9,053 women (27.76%).
Lung cancer remains the deadliest tumor with 23,239 deaths in 2024, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), up 1.9% from the previous year. Of these deaths, 6,679 were women, which represents 7% year-on-year increase in female deaths associated with this disease.
Smoking and diagnosis at an advanced stage
Smoking is still present as a direct cause of this cancer: 40.9% of enrolled patients were active smokers when diagnosed and 46.4% were former smokers. but, More than 11% of patients had never smokedIt is a category that is growing steadily, especially among women.
Also in non-smokers, such as in people under 50, “evidence points to possible environmental factors, such as air pollution and specific genetic changes,” according to Bartomeu Masotti. Despite slight improvement in recent years, more than half of patients with lung cancer in Spain still do so It is diagnosed in advanced stages: 56% are diagnosed in the third or fourth stage and only 10% are discovered in the early stages.
Investing in research is a necessity
Although lung cancer is the deadliest in Spain, survival rates have improved 12% in the past decade thanks to research And to the most innovative treatments. The GECP lamented that only 4% of public investment in cancer is allocated to this tumor.
“Investing in research is not an option, but a necessity. Every clinical study is new It opens the door to more effective treatments and earlier diagnosis. The GECP secretary said the lack of funding was slowing progress in early diagnosis and personalized medicine. According to the Thoracic Tumor Registry, more than 80% of patients in Spain have access to genomic testing, which is the key to more personalized and effective treatment, although regional inequalities remain.
About The Author
