Sex-based differences in the outcomes of patients with lung carcinoids

Objective: To assess the impact of sex on the outcomes of patients with well-differentiated lung neuroendocrine neoplasms in a real-world setting. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Research Plus database (2000-2018) was accessed, and patients with a diagnosis of typical or atypical carcinoid of the lung were reviewed. Trends in age-standardized rates (per 100,000) of the incidence of lung carcinoid tumors were reviewed among male and female patients as well as the overall population, and annual percent change (APC) was determined for the three groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was then used to assess the factors associated with overall and cancer-specific survival. Results: Among all patients, APC (2000-2018) for lung carcinoid diagnosis was 2.9 (95% CI: 2.4-3.5). Among male patients, APC (2000-2018) for lung carcinoid diagnosis was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.2-2.5). By contrast, among female patients, APC (2000-2018) for lung carcinoid diagnosis was 3.4 (95% CI: 2.8-4.1). Based on Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, female sex was associated with better overall survival compared with male sex (p < 0.001). Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, the following factors were associated with worse cancer-specific survival: older age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.036; 95% CI: 1.031-1.041), atypical carcinoid histology (HR: 3.10; 95% CI: 2.71-3.56), stage (distant vs localized stage HR: 4.05; 95% CI: 3.48-4.71), sex (male vs female sex HR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.56-1.99) and no surgical treatment (HR: 3.77; 95% CI: 3.22-4.42). Conclusion: Female patients with lung carcinoid tumors have better overall survival compared with male patients, particularly among patients with typical carcinoid tumors.