Prognostic significance of sex in patients with primary tracheal tumors – a retrospective, single-center study

Introduction. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of the sex of patients with primary tracheal tumors based on our own results as well as the literature review. Material and methods. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 89 patients with primary tracheal tumors treated at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland, between January 2000 and December 2016. Men and women were compared in terms of overall survival, disease-free survival, and progression-free survival. Results. In the entire study group, the median overall survival was 61.30 months in women and 8.55 months in men (p < 0.0001). 5-year overall survival rates were 2.1% in men versus 50.6% in women (p < 0.0001). Among those receiving radical treatment, women had improved survival rates compared with men. Sex was an independent prognostic factor in both the total study population and among those undergoing radical treatment. Conclusions. According to our results, women with primary tracheal tumors have significantly better survival than men. Because female sex is an independent prognostic factor in patients with primary tracheal tumors, the ratio of women to men should be taken into consideration in reports comparing the outcomes of different treatments.