Why some cancer rates are rising more in women than men in France

Women are increasingly at risk of developing lung and pancreatic cancers, according to a report by France’s Institut national du cancer, but the trend does not extend to men.

Over the past 20 years, cancer cases have risen significantly in France, with over 433,000 new cases in 2023 and around 162,400 deaths every year.

This is explained by an ageing population and increased risks due to lifestyle choices.

Today in France, cancer is the number one cause of death for men and number two cause of death for women, behind cardiovascular diseases. 

However, while rates for men are stable or even falling, the incidence of two types of cancer in women is increasing. 

Smoking and cancer rates

Lung cancer rose by 4.3% in a year for women in France, while pancreatic cancer rose by 2.1%. 

One of the main reasons given by the Institute is the take-up of smoking among women.

“For the same level of smoking as men, women are more vulnerable to lung cancer. This is known as women's predisposition. 

“As a result of smoking, women have caught up with men, whereas in the 1970s it was a male cancer,” Jean-Christophe Sananes, a radiologist at Polyclinique Bordeaux Nord Aquitaine, told Sud Ouest. 

“The only way to guarantee the chances of a cure is a chest scan, because the earlier the lesion is detected, the more effective and less invasive the treatments will be.” 

The median age for diagnosing lung cancer is 67 for women, with a 24% survival rate past five years. 

Lung cancer is due to become the most common cause of death from cancer for women in 2025. 

Survival rates for cancer have steadily increased over the last decades thanks to improved treatment and earlier detection. 

However, this trend is more pronounced in men than women due to "earlier diagnoses and significant therapeutic advancements among the more common cancers" in men than in women according to the Institute.

Read more: Is France set to ban smoking on restaurant and cafe terraces?

Cancer risk factors

It re-emphasised the importance of avoiding risk factors such as smoking, and having screening tests to detect the presence of tumours as early as possible. 

* More than half of women in France are not aware of the risk factors of breast cancer, a new study suggests.

La Ligue contre le cancer, which conducted the research, also said figures indicate the number of women attending breast cancer screenings is dropping.

The online survey of 1,000 women aged 18 or over was published in September and suggests that 51% of French women (14.8 million women) are not very familiar with the signs of breast cancer or the disease in general.

It also found that two in three women (63%) are unaware that alcohol is a major risk factor for breast cancer, while almost half (49%) did not identify smoking as a risk factor.

Among smokers, 52% were unaware that smoking considerably increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

The group said it was concerned by these results, and highlighted that attendance of breast cancer screening campaigns has been falling steadily for 10 years.

Read more: Half of women in France not aware of breast cancer risk factors