What is happening with lung cancer in women?
For female lung cancer, death rates increased from 1995 through 2002, but incidence rates stabilized from 1998 through 2002. The slight, but statistically significant, increase in the overall female lung cancer death rate during that period represents a change from last year’s annual report, when the rates were reported to be level. This change may reflect random variations in the rates as the trend stabilizes before possibly showing a steady decline. • What is happening with cancer incidence rates overall? Incidence rates for all cancers combined among men were stable from 1995 through 2002, but the rates among women have increased by 0.3 percent annually since 1987. The persistent increase in overall cancer incidence rates for women can be attributed to increases in rates for breast and six other cancers (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, thyroid, leukemia, bladder and kidney). However, according to more recent data from 1998 to 2002, female lung cancer incidence rates have stabilized
