The role of sex as a prognostic factor in lung cancer

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the prognostic role of the gender. Lung cancer was diagnosed in 785 female and 4619 male registered in Pulmonary Outpatients Departments in 1995. Women were younger than man when all histologic types of lung cancer were analysed (59.7 vs 61.9 years of age p. < 0.001), particularly those with adenocarcinoma(56.9 vs 60.2 years of age, p. < 0.012) and small cell lung cancer (57.4 vs 59.6 years of age, p. < 0.001). Although squamous lung cancer was the most prevalent among men (43.7%) and women (24.7%), about two times higher percentage of men had this neoplasm. Adenocarcinoma (18% vs 6.6%, p. < 0.001) and small cell lung cancer (28.5% vs 15.5% p. < 0.001) were prevalent in significantly higher percentage among female than male. Women were treated more aggressively by surgery (17.1% vs 14.1%, p. = 0.04) but similar percentage of men and women received radiotherapy, chemotherapy and multimodality treatment. Women more frequently survived one year (43% vs 35.7%, p. < 0.04). Significant and independent negative prognostic factors were: gender (RR-1.17 for men), age older than 50 age (RR-1.2), bed performance status (RR-3.28), disseminated disease (RR-2.78) small cell histological type of cancer (RR-1.21) and nonsurgical therapy (RR-3.29).