Lung cancer rates in Belgian women rise as male cases decline
Health experts warn that lung cancer in Belgium is now climbing mostly among women, despite improving trends for men, with smoking and other risk factors remaining central to the growing concern.
Recent figures reveal a troubling trend: while lung cancer rates among Belgian men are falling, cases in women are steadily on the rise. Lung cancer remains the country’s second most diagnosed disease for both genders, but the shift toward higher rates in women has experts alert. Dr. Véronique Le Ray underscores that the majority of all cases continue to be tied to tobacco use, with smoking remaining a key driver behind overall rates.
However, professionals caution that not all cases are related to smoking. For a smaller number of lung cancer patients, environmental exposures, genetic predispositions, and even random genetic mutations are believed to play significant roles—especially among non-smokers. These complex factors make the disease particularly challenging to combat, as survival rates remain low; only three in ten people survive more than five years following diagnosis.
In response, physicians are advocating for systematic lung cancer screening programs, particularly for high-risk individuals. Such screenings have recently shown promising results, boosting survival rates by 13.5 percent. Experts urge continued efforts in prevention, early diagnosis, and expanding access to life-saving medical checks to help reverse the mounting toll of lung cancer among Belgian women.
