Women have a better chance of surviving lung cancer than men even when the cancer is untreated, a new research has found. The study was presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Montreal, Canada.

Investigators reviewed 18,967 cases of non-small-cell lung cancer and found that 54 percent of women survived five years after diagnosis, compared with 40 percent of men, according to the study. 

Even among untreated patients, women were 25 percent less likely to die of the disease than men. And women who were treated for the lung cancer with surgery and or chemotherapy were 30 percent less likely to die of the disease than men, the study showed.

The result probably means biological differences play a role in the disease and may affect clinical trial design and point to potential targets for new medicines, said lead researcher Juan P. Wisnivesky.

Many factors may play a role in this gender difference, Dr. Wisnivesky said, including smoking patterns (women tend to smoke less and inhale less deeply than men), the body's metabolism of carcinogens and the effects of female hormones like estrogen.

重点记忆词汇

Montreal  n.  （加拿大城市）蒙特利尔  gender  n. 性别
chemotherapy  n. 化学疗法             　 surgery  n. 外科手术
inhale  v. 吸入                       metabolism  n. 新陈代谢
estrogen  n. 雌激素                   　 hormone  n. 荷尔蒙, 激素
carcinogen  n. 致癌物质