A new study has found that lung cancer has now surpassed breast cancer as the No.1 killer of women in developed countries.
CBS News reported that the study, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, was done by the American Cancer Society along with the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The study showed that since 2012, around 14 million new cases and 8 million cancer deaths have occurred globally.
Countries in North America, Northern and Western Europe and Eastern Asia have all seen a spike in lung cancer in females. The highest rates of lung cancer for males was in some of the same regions and the lowest rate was in sub-Saharan Africa.
In underdeveloped nations, lung cancer is the leading cause of death for men while breast cancer is the leading cause for women.
Bloomberg News noted that the study concluded that the world’s top cause of death is still cardiovascular disease.
Lung cancer can be caused by many things including air pollution and exposure to certain chemicals, but the leading cause is smoking.