Sex Differences in Presentation, Treatment, and Survival in Patients Receiving Palliative (Chemo)Radiotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze sex differences in a real-world cohort of patients who received palliative thoracic radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Patients and Methods: Retrospectively, baseline, treatment, toxicity, and survival data from a single institution were analyzed. The study included 181 patients (82 females, 99 males). Results: Despite borderline significant differences in disease presentation (T and N stage), final assignment to stage II, III or IV was similar. The same was true for target volume size. Neither radiotherapy parameters nor systemic treatment approaches were significantly different. Toxicity profiles and survival were similar too. Less than 1 out of 3 patients experienced high-grade toxicity, largely esophagitis. Median survival was 8.1 (males) versus 7.8 months (females) and the corresponding 2-year survival rates were 16 and 15%, respectively (p=0.78). Conclusion: Relevant sex differences were not observed in this study of common radiotherapy regimes such as 10 fractions of 3 Gy or 15 fractions of 2.8 Gy, the latter often combined with carboplatin/vinorelbine chemotherapy.