Guilherme Jorge Costa1, Gustavo Telles da Silva2, Carlos Gil Ferreira3, Maria Júlia Gonçalves de Mello4, Anke Bergmann5, Luiz Cláudio Santos Thuler5. 1. Department of Oncology, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Department of Research and Education, Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: guibacosta03@gmail.com. 2. Department of Physiotherapy, National Cancer Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 3. Oncoclinicas Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 4. Clinical Research Division, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. 5. Research Centre, Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract
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.
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.