7 Healthcast: Lung Cancer in women

You may think breast cancer is the number one cancer killer of women. You'd be wrong.

DR. YOLANDA COLSON/BRINGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL.

"What is the hidden fact, however, is that more women are actually dying from lung cancer, smokers and non-smokers included, than are dying from breast, ovarian or uterine cancer combined."

1 in 4 women diagnosed with lung cancers are non smokers--like 78 year old Betty Goff of Rhode Island.

BETTY GOFF/NON-SMOKER AND LUNG CANCER PATIENT

"I had a yearly physical, and the doctor suggested an x-ray, which i had, and they saw something and didn't know what it was."

It turned out to be a spot on her lung and soon Betty received the frightening diagnosis--lung cancer.

BETTY GOFF/NON-SMOKER AND LUNG CANCER PATIENT

"We were told what it was and we could do either of two things: wait and watch it, or go and remove it."

Betty decided on surgery.

BETTY GOFF/NON-SMOKER AND LUNG CANCER PATIENT

"No radiation required, and no chemo- so that was the good thing, because they caught it early enough."

Doctors aren't sure why lung cancer in women has increased.

DR. YOLANDA COLSON/ BRINGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL

"We know that there are exposures that women have more , but it probably doesn't account for the differences. The good news is that althiough those women tend, non smoking women have more cases of lung cancer , they also tend to do better."

Doctors also say it becomes more of a problem because women are less likely to talk about it-

DR. YOLANDA COLSON/BRINGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL

"That stigma is actually doing a tremendous dis service because it's resulted in significantly less funding, less research and therefore we've made less progress on lung cancer"

Betty was lucky and caught it in time, but would like to see more done to prevent it.

BETTY GOFF/NON-SMOKER AND LUNG CANCER PATIENT

"It would be nice if we could have a screening type of thing, there are so many avenues that have to be investigated."

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