A new analysis suggests lung cancer is responsible for more women's deaths in developed countries than breast cancer.
The researchers believe the change is linked to tobacco use, the American Cancer Society reported.
There were an estimated 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million lung cancer deaths that occurred in 2012 across the globe. Lung cancer is also the top cause of cancer deaths in men in both developing and developed countries. Prostate and breast cancer are the most frequently diagnosed cancers in developed countries. Colorectal cancer has also become an increasing cause of cancer death in both developing and developed countries.
Cancer has been rising in both developed and less developed countries, due in part to a growing aging population and modern lifestyle factors such as "smoking, being overweight, physical inactivity, and changing reproductive patterns."
The researchers also pointed out breast, lung and colorectal cancers are increasing in many countries in economic transition that already have a relatively high burden of cancers related to infection, such as those of the liver, stomach and cervix.
"A substantial proportion of the worldwide burden of cancer can be prevented through the application of existing cancer control knowledge, including tobacco control, vaccination (for liver and cervical cancers), early detection, and the promotion of physical activity and healthy dietary patterns," the researchers wrote.
The researchers noted that many of the cancers seen in the study were once rare in developing countries, but are becoming more frequent as western culture sets in.
"A coordinated and intensified response from all sectors of society, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and individuals, is required to seize control of the growing burden of cancer," the researchers concluded.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
