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. 2021 Oct;10(10):3902-3911.
doi: 10.21037/tlcr-21-559.

Are there differences by sex in lung cancer characteristics at diagnosis? -a nationwide study

Alberto Ruano-Ravina  1   2   3 , Mariano Provencio  4 , Virginia Calvo de Juan  4 , Enric Carcereny  5 , Anna Estival  5 , Delvys Rodríguez-Abreu  6 , Gretel Benítez  6 , Rafael López-Castro  7 , Marta Belver  7 , María Guirado-Risueño  8 , Carlos Guirao-Rubio  8 , Ana Blasco  9 , Bartomeu Massutí  10 , Ana Laura Ortega  11 , Manuel Cobo  12 , Joaquín Mosquera-Martínez  13 , Carlos Aguado de la Rosa  14 , Joaquim Bosch-Barrera  15   16   17 , Amparo Sánchez-Gastaldo  18 , Edel Del Barco Morillo  19 , Óscar Juan  20 , Manuel Dómine  21 , José Manuel Trigo  22 , Diego Pereiro Corbacho  23 , Juana Oramas  24
Affiliations

Are there differences by sex in lung cancer characteristics at diagnosis? -a nationwide study

Alberto Ruano-Ravina et al. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Lung cancer causes approximately 25% of all cancer deaths. Despite its relevance, few studies have analyzed differences by sex at the time of diagnosis in terms of symptoms, stage, age or smoking status. We aim to assess if there are differences between men and women on these characteristics at diagnosis.

Methods: We analyzed the Thoracic Tumour Registry (TTR), sponsored by the Spanish Lung Cancer Group using a case-series design. This is a nationwide registry of lung cancer cases which started recruitment in 2016. For each case included, clinicians fulfilled an electronic record registering demographic data, symptoms, exposure to lung cancer risk factors, and treatment received in detail. We compared men and women using descriptive statistics.

Results: A total of 13,590 participants took part in this study, 25.6% women. Women were 4 years younger than men (64 vs. 69), and men had smoked more frequently. Adenocarcinoma was the most frequent histological type in both sexes. Stage IV at diagnosis was 50.8% in women compared to 43.6% in men. Weight loss/anorexia/asthenia was the most frequent symptom in both sexes and there were no differences in the number of symptoms at diagnosis. There were no relevant differences in the frequency or number of symptoms by sex when non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were analyzed separately. Smoking status did not appear to cause different lung cancer presentation in men compared to women.

Conclusions: There seems to be no differences in lung cancer characteristics by sex at the time at diagnosis on stage, specific symptoms or number of symptoms.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; sex; small cell lung cancer (SCLC); smoking; symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tlcr-21-559). MP serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Translational Lung Cancer Research. MP and VCJ receive consulting fees from BMS, ROCHE, ASTRAZENECA, MSD, Boehringer. AE receives consulting fees from ROCHE, MSD, AstraZeneca. GB receives consulting fees from ROCHE, SANOFI. MG receives consulting fees from ROCHE, MSD, Bristol Myers. CAR receives consulting fees from ROCHE, MSD, BMS, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pierre Fabre. ÓJ receives consulting fees from Boehringer, BMS, Merch, Roche, Astrazeneca, Lilly, Takeda. MD receives consulting fees from Astrazeneca, BMS, Boehriguer, MSD, Pfizer, Roche. JMT receives consulting fees from BMS, MSD, AstraZeneca, Boehringer. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age at diagnosis broken down by gender and smoking status.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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