Squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the
lung is a type of
non-small-cell lung carcinoma and is more common in
men than in women. It is closely correlated with a history of
tobacco smoking, more so than most other types of
lung cancer. According to the
Nurses' Health Study, the
relative risk of SCC is approximately 5.5, both among those with a previous duration of smoking of 1 to 20 years, and those with 20 to 30 years, compared to never-smokers. The relative risk increases to approximately 16 with a previous smoking duration of 30 to 40 years, and approximately 22 with more than 40 years.