Antiestrogen use and survival of women with non-small cell lung cancer in Manitoba, Canada

Horm Cancer. 2013 Oct;4(5):270-6. doi: 10.1007/s12672-013-0149-7. Epub 2013 May 29.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Sex differences in lung cancer incidence and survival are known. Female sex is an independent good prognostic factor. Estrogens appear to play a key role in lung cancer outcomes. Accordingly, antiestrogen use may also influence survival in female non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. In this study, we compared survival among antiestrogen users and nonusers. We performed a retrospective population-based study. Using the Manitoba Cancer Registry (MCR), we identified all women diagnosed with NSCLC from 2000 to 2007. The population-based Drug Program Information Network was accessed to establish which patients received antiestrogens. Demographic data (e.g., smoking patterns, stage, histology) were gathered from the MCR and by chart review. Survival differences between antiestrogen-exposed and not exposed groups were compared using multivariable Cox regression. Two thousand three hundred twenty women fit our patient criteria, of which 156 had received antiestrogens. Exposure to antiestrogens was associated with a significantly decreased mortality in those exposed both before and after the diagnosis of NSCLC (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.42, p = 0.0006). This association remained consistent across age and stage groups. Antiestrogen use before and after the diagnosis of NSCLC is associated with decreased mortality. This supports previous evidence that estrogens may play a key role in the biology and outcomes of NSCLC and suggests a potential therapeutic use for these agents in this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Canada
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / mortality*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Estrogen Receptor Modulators / administration & dosage*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Manitoba / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Estrogen Receptor Modulators