Sorting Out the Seeming Increase in Lung Cancer in Women Who Have Never Smoked

The document discussed the observed increase in lung cancer among women who have never smoked, noting that this was not due to a higher incidence compared to men but rather the larger number of older women who have never smoked. Women showed a better response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which was linked to a higher prevalence of EGFR mutations in adenocarcinomas, particularly among East Asians. The ECOG 1594 trial with 1,200 patients revealed that women had a statistically higher median survival than men, despite similar response rates to chemotherapy. The study highlighted that women experienced more toxicity but had a better overall outcome, possibly due to hormonal factors and differences in drug metabolism. The document concluded that the biology of lung cancer in women might differ from men, with ongoing research into hormonal influences and targeted therapies.