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Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on August 12, 2009
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp300
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

The strength of female sex as a prognostic factor in small-cell lung cancer: a pooled analysis of chemotherapy trials from the Manchester Lung Group and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit

P. Wheatley-Price1,*, C. Ma2, L. F. Ashcroft3, M. Nankivell4, R. J. Stephens4, S. C. White5, P. Lorigan5, N. Thatcher5, F. H. Blackhall5 and F. A. Shepherd1

1 Department of Medical Oncology and
2 Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Hospital/University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3 Department of Biostatistics, Christie Hospital, Manchester
4 Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, London
5 Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK

* Correspondence to: Dr P. Wheatley-Price, Princess Margaret Hospital, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9, Canada. Tel: +1-416-946-4522; Fax: +1-416-946-6546; E-mail: paulwp{at}doctors.org.uk

Background: Previous studies reported that women survive longer than men, but experience greater toxicity, when treated for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods: Individual patient data from six randomized phase II/III chemotherapy trials, from the Manchester Lung Group and UK Medical Research Council, were pooled for analysis. End points included overall survival, response rate, toxicity, dose intensity (DI) and transfusion rates.

Results: Of 1707 patients analyzed, 44% were women. At baseline, women had poorer performance status (PS) (57% versus 67% Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS 0–1/Karnofsky PS 80–100, P = 0.0004) and more were of normal weight or underweight (57% versus 48%, P = 0.003), but fewer were anemic (25% versus 62%, P < 0.0001). Response rates between women and men were similar (77% versus 76%, P = 0.64). In univariate [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76–0.96, P = 0.006] and multivariate (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79–0.99, P = 0.04) analyses, female sex predicted for longer survival. Women experienced more grade 3/4 emesis (18% versus 9%, P < 0.0001) and grade 3/4 mucositis (13% versus 8%, P = 0.005) than men. There were no differences in DI, infections, transfusions or treatment-related deaths.

Conclusion: Data from >1700 patients in randomized SCLC chemotherapy trials confirm that women survive modestly longer than men but may experience greater toxicity.

chemotherapy, sex, small-cell lung cancer

Received for publication February 5, 2009. Revision received April 16, 2009. Accepted for publication April 27, 2009.


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