lung cancer

Definition of lung cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the lung,
usually in the cells lining air passages. The two main types are small
cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These types are
diagnosed based on how the cells look under a microscope.

Women more likely to survive lung cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When women and men have lung cancer of the
same stage and are given the same treatment, the women are more likely
to survive, according to the findings published in the journal of
Chest.
Lung cancer "is the number one cause of cancer deaths in both men and
women worldwide," Dr. Robert James Cerfolio and colleagues from the
University of Alabama at Birmingham, write.
Several studies using data from national cancer registries have shown
that men and women differ in lung cancer survival. The present study
was different in that it determined survival in men and women who were
diagnosed with lung cancer, treated based on the same algorithm, and
then followed for up to 7 years.
The study focused on patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the
most common type. Unlike the small cell variant, non-small cell lung
cancer is often amenable to surgical removal and more responsive to
chemotherapy.
The study included 1,085 patients -- 671 men and 414 women. There were
no significant differences between the sexes in terms of race, other
diseases, smoking history, lung function and the treatment received.
At 5 years, 60 percent of women were still alive compared with 50
percent of men. Moreover, women had consistently higher survival rates
for all stages of disease.
As to why survival was better for women, it may relate to them being
more responsive to chemotherapy, Cerforlio and colleagues report.
The researchers conclude that the findings might help improve the
"dismal" overall 5-year survival rate for patients with non-small lung
cancer "by helping to target new therapeutic options."

SOURCE: Chest, December 2006.
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