Study: Reproductive variables may increase women’s chance of developing lung cancer

According to a research, early menopause, a shorter gestational age, and early first delivery are all linked to higher chances of lung cancer in women.

The results, which were presented at the ongoing International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore, showed that in populations with high genetic susceptibility and harmful behaviors, these reproductive factors showed a significantly stronger association with elevated lung cancer risk, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The most common kind of cancer that kills both men and women is lung cancer. About 85% of people with lung cancer have NSCLC, which is the most common kind.

Lead researcher Dr. Y. Zhang from Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China stated, “These findings are of paramount importance in our understanding of the potential risk factors for lung cancer among women.”

In subpopulations with particular genetic risk and lifestyle choices, Zhang said, “Early menarche, early menopause, and a shortened reproductive life span are associated with higher risks of incident lung cancer, especially NSCLC.”

In order to investigate the relationships between certain reproductive characteristics and the chance of acquiring lung cancer, the researchers undertook a prospective cohort study with 273,190 adults from the UK Biobank.

Age, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), genetic risk, and histological subtypes were among the possible risk variables that the research attempted to discover and further analyze in terms of their effects on certain subgroups.

1,182 instances of female lung cancer were identified in the cohort research during a median follow-up time of 12.0 years.

The study found that reproductive factors like early menarche (before the age of 11), early menopause (before the age of 46 or between 47 and 49), a shorter reproductive span (before the age of 32 or between 33 and 35), and an early age at first birth (before the age of 20 or between 21 and 25 years) increased a woman’s risk of lung cancer.

The significance of screening a variety of reproductive parameters in determining prospective lung cancer risk among female populations is emphasized by this ground-breaking study. According to Dr. Zhang, healthcare providers may create focused preventative strategies and therapies to successfully battle lung cancer by recognizing these relationships.