Lung cancer overtakes breast cancer in women in Aus

Melbourne, Dec 19: For the first time breast cancer has taken a back seat in Australia . Now the top killer for women is lung cancer, according to a report.

Reason: Women smokers are increasing. In the name of enjoying the same freedom as men, women have largely picked up cigarette smoking. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the lung cancer rates are expected to increase by 0.4 per cent a year until 2010 for women and to drop by 1.1 per cent for men.

Cancer Council of Australia chief executive Professor Ian Olver said lung cancer had for the first time overtaken breast cancer as the largest killer of women. "The distressing part about it is that whereas there is less you can do about preventing breast cancer, lung cancer is entirely preventable by controlling smoking,"News.com.au quoted him as saying.

ANI