Brazilian Women With Lung Cancer Have a Higher Overall Survival Than Their Male Equivalents: A Cohort Study

The epidemiologic, clinical, and histologic profile of women with lung cancer is better known in developing countries. This study was a cohort retrospective including 1283 patients with lung cancer from the Brazilian National Cancer Institute between 2006 and 2014. This study showed that the overall survival in women with lung cancer is higher than men. Background: Lung cancer is the principal cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide; however, there has been controversy as to whether there is a difference in survival rate according to gender in Brazil. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to compare the epidemiologic and clinical profile and the overall survival of patients with lung cancer according to gender. Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed involving 1283 patients diagnosed with lung cancer between 2006 and 2014 at a single cancer center. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier statistics. A log-rank test was used to assess differences between survival curves, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to quantitate the relationship between gender and overall survival. Results: Compared with men, women were more frequently younger (P < .001), nonsmokers (P = .007), diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (P < .001), had early stage disease (P < .001), received surgery or surgery in combination with chemotherapy (P < .001), and had a better survival rate (P < .001). The median overall survival rate was higher in women (14.2 vs. 10.5 months in men; P < .001). Cox regression-adjusted analysis shows that women were 16% less likely to die than men (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.98; P = .03). Conclusions: A higher overall survival rate was found in women with lung cancer as compared with men with lung cancer in Brazil. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This retrospective cohort study of 1283 lung cancer patients in Brazil found that women with lung cancer were younger, more likely to be nonsmokers, diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, in early stages of the disease, received surgery or surgery combined with chemotherapy, and had a higher overall survival rate compared to men. Cox regression analysis indicated that women were 16% less likely to die than men, suggesting a gender difference in survival rates for lung cancer in Brazil.