The traditional view of lung cancer is that it affects mostly older male smokers. But statistics show – and recent research supports – that the disease is striking women in astonishing numbers.

Lung cancer will take the lives of an estimated 72,000 women in the United States this year. That’s more than the number of expected deaths from breast cancer and ovarian cancer combined.

The news is not all bad, however. Early detection increases survival rate and improves the chance for a decent quality of life. In fact, thanks to new treatments, the cure rate for lung cancer has doubled.

Risk Factors: For women – as for men – the single biggest lung cancer risk factor is smoking; 87 percent of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Other risk factors include exposure to radon, second-hand smoke, radiation, asbestos and some chemicals.

Symptoms: A cough that doesn’t go away and persistent chest pain are two of the most common symptoms. Others include pain in the shoulder or back, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing up blood, swelling in the neck and face, unexplained weight loss and recurring infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

See your doctor if you have any symptoms, especially if you smoke two or more packs of cigarettes a day.