Korean J Intern Med.  2011 Dec;26(4):427-431. 10.3904/kjim.2011.26.4.427.

Gender Differences in Susceptibility to Smoking among Patients with Lung Cancer

• Ryu JS
• Jeon SH
• Kim JS
• Lee JH
• Kim SH
• Hong JT
• Jeong JH
• Jeong JJ
• Lee MD
• Min SJ
• Nam HS
• Cho JH
• Kwak SM
• Lee HL
• Kim HJ

• KMID: 1729245
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2011.26.4.427

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
To determine whether female smokers are more or less susceptible to the detrimental pulmonary-function effects of smoking when compared to male smokers among patients with lung cancer.
METHODS
Pack-years and pulmonary function indices were compared between 1,594 men and women with lung cancer ifferences in individual susceptibility to smoking were estimated using a susceptibility index formula.
RESULTS
Of the patients, 959 (92.8%) men and 74 (7.2%) women were current smokers. Common histological types of lung cancer were squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma, among others. Women had a lower number of pack-years, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, liters), forced vital capacity (FVC, liters), and total lung capacity (TLC, liters) compared to those of men (25.0 +/- 19.2 vs. 42.9 +/- 21.7 for pack-years; 1.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.0 +/- 0.6 for FEV1; 3.0 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.0 +/- 0.6 for FVC; 4.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 5.7 +/- 1.0 for TLC; all p < 0.001). The susceptibility index for women was significantly higher compared to that of men (1.1 +/- 4.1 vs. 0.7 +/- 1.1; p = 0.001). A significant inverse association was shown between the susceptibility index and TLC and FVC (r = -0.200 for TLC, -0.273 for FVC; all p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the detrimental effects of smoking on pulmonary function are greater in women, as compared to those in men, among patients with lung cancer.

Keyword

Gender; Lung neoplasms; Smoking; Disease susceptibility; Pulmonary function

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Chi-Square Distribution
Cohort Studies
Female
*Gender Identity
Humans
Korea/epidemiology
Lung Neoplasms/complications/*epidemiology/pathology
Lung Volume Measurements
Male
Middle Aged
Respiratory Function Tests
Risk Assessment
Sex Factors
Smoking/*adverse effects/epidemiology