Gender differences in non-small cell lung cancer: a population-based study.
BACKGROUND
A retrospective study including all patients with non-small cell lung cancer carcinoma in a population-based registry was performed to characterize gender differences in lung cancer and to analyze the factors influencing prognosis in women.


METHODS
We retrieved through the Tuscan Cancer Registry (RTT) archive 2,523 lung tumor cases diagnosed during the period 1996-1998 in the provinces of Florence and Prato, central Italy. We compared the prognosis within 464 non-small lung cancer women and 1,798 men in a population-based case series. The influence of the following variables on postoperative survival were analyzed: age, cell type, pathologic T and N status, site of tumor and type of surgical resection.


RESULTS
The age at diagnosis was similar in women and in men. Women were significantly more likely to have adenocarcinoma but less likely to have squamous cell carcinoma compared with men. Fewer pneumonectomies were performed in women than in men. Nevertheless, prognosis was similar in both sexes and type of surgical resection was significant prognostic factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Lung cancer was more frequent in men than in women, but overall survival is similar. Differences in lung cancer histology and rate of pneumonectomies were found between men and women.
Caldarella
A
A
Clinical Epidemiology, Center for Study and Cancer Prevention, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Florence, Italy. adele.caldarella@unifi.it
Crocetti
E
E
Comin
C E
CE
Janni
A
A
Pegna
A Lopes
AL
Paci
E
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D000367:Age Factors; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000453:epidemiology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome