Sorting Out the Seeming Increase in Lung Cancer in Women Who Have Never Smoked

The document discussed the observed increase in lung cancer among women who have never smoked, noting that this was not due to a higher incidence compared to men but rather the larger number of older women who have never smoked. Dr. Ronald B. Natale highlighted that women responded well to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and the prevalence of EGFR mutations was higher in women, particularly among East Asians. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group's 1594 trial showed women had better survival rates than men, despite higher toxicity levels. The study concluded that the biology of lung cancer in women differed from men, with potential hormonal influences, and emphasized that smoking rates among young women were concerning.