Differences in treatment and survival rates of non-small-cell lung cancer in three regions of France.
Treatment and survival rates of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were compared between three French Cancer Registries (Calvados, Doubs, Tarn). The methodological issues in such comparisons are discussed. The treatments for NSCLC differed between the regions: radiotherapy tended to be preferred in Calvados (73% vs 21.3% surgery), whereas surgery was more frequently employed in Doubs and Tarn (27.7% and 37% respectively). The percentage of cases receiving no therapeutic treatment ranged from 7.8% (Calvados) to 26% (Tarn). Despite the differences in treatment, the overall survival rates were similar in the three regions. Adjustment for treatment in such a descriptive study may be misleading since different therapeutic strategies in different regions may lead to selection of patients of systematically better or poorer prognosis in the various treatment groups.
Grosclaude
P
P
Registre des cancers du Tarn, chemin des trois Tarn, Albi, France.
Galat
J P
JP
Macé-Lesech
J
J
Roumagnac-Machelard
M
M
Mercier
M
M
Robillard
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012042:Registries; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate