[Female lung cancer trends, staging and histology in Hérault, France]. / Tendance, stade, histologie du cancer bronchopulmonaire chez les femmes dans l'Hérault, France.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In France, lung cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in women. The main objective of this study is to analyse specificities of lung cancer in the female population in an administrative district in France, focusing on histology, staging and trends over time. METHODS: Incidence data from 1987 to 2004 were extracted from the Hérault cancer registry. The variables of interest considered at diagnosis were stage, histology and age. Mortality data were extracted from the CépiDc-Inserm database for the same period. RESULTS: Among the 6,650 patients studied, 16.8% were women. 18.3% of whom were aged less than 50 at diagnosis, (9.9% of men, p<0.001). Lung cancer incidence is increasing in the female population (+6.4% per year) as well as lung cancer mortality (+3.5% per year). This occurred faster for adenocarcinoma, young women and stages III-IV. CONCLUSION: This population-based study confirmed the specific features of lung cancer in women younger age at diagnosis, adenocarcinoma and stage at diagnosis with poor prognosis. These results raise the question of possible differences to lung cancer susceptibility between males and females.