Lung cancer death rates among European women are expected to overtake those of breast cancer for the first time this year.
The trend is largely driven by women in the UK and their long history of smoking, say researchers.
Predicted lung cancer incidence for women in Europe is set to rise by 9% between 2009 and 2015, reaching a level of 14.24 per 100,000 of population.
Smoking was seen as a key factor in increased lung cancer deaths in the UK compared to other European countries
In contrast, death rates from breast cancer are due to fall by 10.2% to 14.22 per 100,000.
The bleakest women’s lung cancer forecasts are for the UK and Poland, with 2015 death rates of 21 and 17 per 100,000 of population respectively.
At the other end of the scale, just eight women per 100,000 are predicted to die from lung cancer in Spain.
Despite lung cancer death rates statistically overtaking those of breast cancer, the total number of women dying from breast cancer is calculated to remain slightly higher.
Lung cancer is predicted to kill 87,500 European women this year and breast cancer 90,800.
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