Women with non-small cell lung cancers live longer than men - study

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- A study showed that women diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) live longer than their male counterparts. 

The revelation came from a SWOG study presented today by Kathy Albain, M.D., the Huizenga Family Endowed Chair in Oncology Research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).

The study was conducted on 981 patients newly diagnosed with Stage I, II, or III NSCLC and they are grouped into four cohorts based on sex and smoking history, a statement said.

Regardless of the factors or smoking history, women in the trial had significantly better overall survival (OS) rates compared to men. Female never-smokers and female ever-smokers had significantly better OS compared to male never-smokers and male ever-smokers.

Another study, presented by Renelle L. Myers of British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, demonstrate that female lung cancer patients who have never smoked have significantly greater exposure rates to outdoor air pollution than female lung cancer patients with a history of smoking.

The results showed that the median air pollution exposure of never-smoker cancer patients was more than double that of ever-smokers with lung cancer. Interestingly, never-smokers with the highest levels of ambient particulate matter exposure were 74 per cent women.

“The results of this study underscore the importance of factoring outdoor air pollution into lung cancer development among women, particularly those who have never smoked,” said Myers.

“Although long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter has been associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer, there is currently no lung cancer screening risk prediction model that includes air pollution as an individual risk factor in its calculation,” added Myers.

The IASLC’s 19th WCLC summarised wide-ranging study topics, from significant clinical research findings to gender differences in lung cancer survival.

More details available at www.iaslc.org and https://wclc2018.iaslc.org.

-- BERNAMA