About this Video
Lung cancer remains a deadly disease and most cases are caused by cigarette smoking.
Using data from IARC ( International Agency for research on Cancer) in Lyon, France, Hans Rosling shows the dramatic differences between men and women, between countries and between different decades in the same country. They are due to variations in tobacco smoking in the world. Most people in low income countries cannot afford many cigarettes, and hence have low risk for lung cancer. Middle income countries have the highest frequency of tobacco smoking, and hence of lung cancer. In most high income countries health education and regulations are having effects, tobacco consumption is reduced and so the risk of lung cancer in men. But unfortunately smoking and lung cancer is still increasing in women in many countries. Iceland is the first country to reach equal smoking frequencies in men and women and now also have the same risk for lung cancer in both sexes.
In spite of growing concerns for environmental toxins, tobacco smoking remains the most important avoidable cancer risk in the world.
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New cases of lung cancer per 100 000 men vs. per 100 000 women in Gapminder World.
