Lung Cancer Survival Better in Nonsmokers
Never-smokers with early stage lung cancer have significantly better survival than smokers with the disease. Researchers from the University of Alabama compared survival rates among 562 smokers and 168 never-smokers, all of whom had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The overall 5-year survival rate was greater in never-smokers (64%) compared with smokers (56%). Patients with more than a 20 pack-year smoking history had the worst survival. Researchers conclude that smoking not only causes lung cancer, but once a patient develops cancer, smoking makes the prognosis worse. This study appears in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Psychiatric Disorders Prevalent Among Patients With COPD
A new study shows that COPD patients experience significantly more psychiatric problems than those in the general population. Canadian researchers conducted psychiatric interviews and spirometry testing among 62 women and 54 men who had stable COPD. Results indicated that the overall prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 49%, a prevalence that is at least three times higher than that in the general population. Furthermore, psychiatric disorders were nearly two times higher in women than in men, while women also showed greater psychological distress, worse perceived control of symptoms, and greater functional impairment, despite having comparable COPD severity scores. This study appears in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Don’t Delay Treatment in Stage I Lung Cancer
A new study confirms that treatment of early stage lung cancer should not be delayed. Researchers from the University of California analyzed 19,702 cases of stage I lung cancer, of which 1,432 did not undergo surgical resection or receive treatment with chemotherapy or radiation. Among the untreated patients, median survival was 9 months overall, 13 months for patients with T1 disease, and 14 months for patients who refused surgical resection. When lung cancer specific survival was analyzed, researchers found that patients with untreated T1 tumors had a 23 percent 5-year survival rate, while those with untreated T2 tumors had a 12 percent survival rate, compared with 72 percent and 57 percent for patients with treated T1 and T2 tumors, respectively. Researchers conclude that long-term survival is uncommon for patients with untreated stage 1 lung cancer and that treatment for early stage lung cancer should not be delayed. This study appears in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.