Lung cancer risk among women

In a hospital-based case-control study in Prague, Czech Republic, data were collected by personal interviews from 269 female cases and 1079 controls. Cigarette smoking was the most important factor associated with excess risk of lung cancer. In addition, associations with risk were found for chronic cough, chronic phlegm of less than 2 years' duration, and shortness of breath. Inverse associations emerged for physical exercise, and body mass index. For squamous-, small- and large-cell cancers combined, positive associations with the consumption of red meat and poultry, and inverse association with intake of vegetables were found. While smoking has been verified to be the main determinant of lung cancer risk among Czech women, cofactors such as diet, history of lung disease, or lifestyle factors may have a contributory role.