Lung cancer is affecting more and more women. The risk of death has increased four times between 1984 and 1999 for women aged 35-44. However, the risk of dying from this type of cancer has been halved for men in the same age group.
Authors of the study published in the Epidemiological Record state: "These variations result respectively from a decrease in the average number of cigarettes smoked by men aged 15-44 over the last 10 years and an increase among women."
In 1980, men smoked an average of nine cigarettes a day, compared to 3.5 by women.
The mortality rate reached its highest level among men in 1993 but has since declined considerably, but it is growing among women.
Though there are other factors, the main cause of lung cancer is smoking.