Sex-Based Differences in Lung Cancer Incidence: A Retrospective Analysis of Two Large US-Based Cancer Databases

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has seen a relative rise in incidence among females versus males in recent years, although males still have a higher overall incidence. However, it is unclear whether this trend is consistent across all populations. Therefore, we retrospectively examined this relationship in two large high-risk clinical cohorts. Methods: First, we analyzed lung cancer incidence among individuals with a smoking history of over 40 pack-years in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). Then, we investigated the incidence of second primary NSCLC in patients who underwent lobectomy for previous stage I lung cancer using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We performed both univariate and multivariable time-to-event analyses to investigate the relationship between sex and lung cancer incidence. Results: In the NLST cohort (n = 37,627), females had a higher risk of developing primary NSCLC than males (HR = 1.11 [1.007–1.222], p = 0.035) after adjusting for age and pack-year history. In the SEER cohort (n = 19,327), females again exhibited an increased risk of developing a second primary lung cancer (HR = 1.138 [1.02–1.269], p = 0.021), after adjusting for age, race, grade, and histology. Conclusions: Our analysis reveals that females have a modestly higher lung cancer incidence than males in high-risk populations. These findings underscore the importance of further researching the underlying cellular processes that may cause sex-specific differences in lung cancer incidence.