Patient education level as a predictor of survival in lung cancer clinical trials

Lung Cancer in Women-Sociodemographic, Clinical and Psychological Characteristics with Comparison to Men

(1) Background: There is a difference in the course of lung cancer between women and men. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate various factors in the patient population treated in daily practice. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical, sociodemographic and psychological aspects of female lung cancer. To better express the results, we compared women and men. (2) Methods: Consecutive patients with a history of lung cancer treatment admitted to the outpatient oncology clinic (Department of Lung Cancer and Chest Tumours, Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw) and the Department of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases and Allergy, were enrolled. We conducted analyses of the clinical, psychological and socioeconomic factors of women with lung cancer treated in everyday practice, including a comparison with a group of men. Demographic data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire. We used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) questionnaires for psychological evaluation. (3) Results: A total of 100 patients with confirmed primary lung cancer with a history of treatment were enrolled in the study (50 women and 50 men). We found a significantly shorter history of smoking in the group of women; at the same time, there were no differences in the reported incidence of COPD. Despite comparable results to men on the psychological questionnaire (PSS-10, AIS), women more often reported a willingness to be supported by a psychologist or psychiatrist due to lung cancer. However, they did not decide to consult them more often than men. Immunotherapy was a significantly less frequently used method in women. (4) Conclusions: We should be more active in finding out the willingness to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist among women with lung cancer. The diagnosis of COPD should be considered more often among women due to the lack of differences in the reported incidence of COPD between men and women, despite a clear contrast in the number of pack-years.

Smoking and BMI mediate the causal effect of education on lower back pain: observational and Mendelian randomization analyses

Objective

Low back pain (LBP) has been associated with education in previous observational studies, but the causality remains unclear. This study aims to assess the impact of education on LBP and to explore mediation by multiple lifestyle factors.

Design

Univariable Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to examine the overall effect of education on LBP. Subsequently, multivariable MR was conducted to assess both the direct effect of education on LBP and the influence of potential mediators. Indirect effects were estimated using either the coefficient product method or the difference method, and the proportion of mediation was calculated by dividing the indirect effect by the total effect. The observational study utilized data from the NHANES database collected between 1999 and 2004, and included 15,580 participants aged 20 years and above.

Results

Increasing education by 4.2 years leads to a 48% reduction in the risk of LBP (OR=0.52; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.59). Compared to individuals with less than a high school education, those with education beyond high school have a 28% lower risk of LBP (OR=0.72; 95% CI: 0.63 to 0.83). In the MR study, smoking accounts for 12.8% (95% CI: 1.04% to 20.8%) of the total effect, while BMI accounts for 5.9% (95% CI: 2.99% to 8.55%). The combined mediation effect of smoking and BMI is 27.6% (95% CI: 23.99% to 32.7%). In the NHANES study, only smoking exhibits a mediating effect, accounting for 34.3% (95% CI: 21.07% to 41.65%) of the effect, while BMI does not demonstrate a mediating role.

Conclusions

Higher levels of education provide a protective effect against the risk of LBP. Additionally, implementing interventions to reduce smoking and promote weight loss among individuals with lower levels of education can also decrease this risk.

Social and Biological Determinants in Lung Cancer Disparity

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of death in the United States and globally, despite progress in treatment and screening efforts. While mortality rates have decreased in recent years, long-term survival of patients with lung cancer continues to be a challenge. Notably, African American (AA) men experience significant disparities in lung cancer compared to European Americans (EA) in terms of incidence, treatment, and survival. Previous studies have explored factors such as smoking patterns and complex social determinants, including socioeconomic status, personal beliefs, and systemic racism, indicating their role in these disparities. In addition to social factors, emerging evidence points to variations in tumor biology, immunity, and comorbid conditions contributing to racial disparities in this disease. This review emphasizes differences in smoking patterns, screening, and early detection and the intricate interplay of social, biological, and environmental conditions that make African Americans more susceptible to developing lung cancer and experiencing poorer outcomes.

Level of Education Matters in Regard to Participants' Compliance With Screening in the National Lung Screening Trial

PURPOSE

The success of cancer screening depends on patient adherence to the screening program. The purpose of this study is to assess how the level of education might affect participants' compliance with screening in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Secondary data analyses of the participants in the NLST were performed. A total of 50,104 participants were included in this study. Participants who enrolled in the trial but refused the initial screening were compared with those who completed the screening. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the association between participant noncompliance and education level.

RESULTS

A total of 3712 (7.41%) participants refused lung cancer screening in the NLST. Compared with the reference group, participants with an education level of eighth grade or less (odds ratio [OR]: 2.1, CI: 1.68-2.76), ninth-11th grade (OR: 1.9, CI: 1.7-2.34), high school graduates (OR: 1.3, CI: 1.22-1.54), after high school training (OR: 1.1, CI: 1-1.31), or an associate's degree (OR: 1.2, CI: 1.07-1.36) had significantly higher odds of refusing lung cancer screening. Participants with a bachelor's degree showed no significant association with compliance with screening (OR: 0.9, P = 0.86). Multivariate regression analysis also showed that younger, single, male participants with a longer duration of smoking history had significantly higher odds of refusing the screening.

CONCLUSION

A lower level of education was significantly associated with refusing lung cancer screening. A strategic targeted approach for this group might be necessary to promote their compliance rate.

Social determinants of health and lung cancer surgery: a qualitative study

Introduction

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-clinical factors that may affect the outcomes of cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of SDOH factors on quality of life (QOL)-related outcomes for lung cancer surgery patients.

Methods

Thirteen patients enrolled in a randomized trial of a dyadic self-management intervention were invited and agreed to participate in semi-structured key informant interviews at study completion (3 months post-discharge). A conventional content analysis approach was used to identify codes and themes that were derived from the interviews. Independent investigators coded the qualitative data, which were subsequently confirmed by a second group of independent investigators. Themes were finalized, and discrepancies were reviewed and resolved.

Results

Six themes, each with several subthemes, emerged. Overall, most participants were knowledgeable about the concept of SDOH and perceived that provider awareness of SDOH information was important for the delivery of comprehensive care in surgery. Some participants described financial challenges during treatment that were exacerbated by their cancer diagnosis and resulted in stress and poor QOL. The perceived impact of education varied and included its importance in navigating the healthcare system, decision-making on health behaviors, and more economic mobility opportunities. Some participants experienced barriers to accessing healthcare due to insurance coverage, travel burden, and the fear of losing quality insurance coverage due to retirement. Neighborhood and built environment factors such as safety, air quality, access to green space, and other environmental factors were perceived as important to QOL. Social support through families/friends and spiritual/religious communities was perceived as important to postoperative recovery.

Discussion

Among lung cancer surgery patients, SDOH factors can impact QOL and the patient's survivorship journey. Importantly, SDOH should be assessed routinely to identify patients with unmet needs across the five domains. SDOH-driven interventions are needed to address these unmet needs and to improve the QOL and quality of care for lung cancer surgery patients.

The Role of Sublobar Resection for the Surgical Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cancer killer in the world. The standard of care for surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer has been lobectomy. Recent studies have identified that sublobar resection has non-inferior survival rates compared to lobectomy, however. Sublobar resection may increase the number of patients who can tolerate surgery and reduce postoperative pulmonary decline. Sublobar resection appears to have equivalent results to surgery in patients with small, peripheral tumors and no lymph node disease. As the utilization of segmentectomy increases, there may be some centers that perform this operation more than other centers. Care must be taken to ensure that all patients have access to this modality. Future investigations should focus on examining the outcomes from segmentectomy as it is applied more widely. When employed on a broad scale, morbidity and survival rates should be monitored. As segmentectomy is performed more frequently, patients may experience improved postoperative quality of life while maintaining the same oncologic benefit.

Impact of socioeconomic status on cancer staging, survival in non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose

We performed this study to evaluate the association of socioeconomic status (SES) factors with cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We further assessed the predictive value of a novel Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM)-SES staging system, combining the TNM stage with the SES stage.

Methods

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we selected 40,378 patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2012 to 2016. Cox regression method and Harrell's concordance index (C-index) were performed to select the SES factors related to CSS and evaluate the predictive ability of the novel TNM-SES stage. We used Kaplan-Meier curves and a log-rank test to conduct a survival analysis.

Results

We identified four SES factors (marriage, insurance, education, and household income) associated with CSS and constructed the SES stage (SES-1 and SES-2). NSCLC patients with SES-2 stage (low SES) was associated with young adult, black race, male, squamous carcinoma, upper lobe site, and advanced stage. SES-2 stage patients were significantly associated with a dismal prognosis of patients with NSCLC, with a 21.0% increased risk (HR = 1.21, 95%CI (1.18-1.24), p < 0.001). The C-index of our novel TNM-SES stage was 0.732 [95% CI (0.728-0.736)], higher than the traditional TNM stage [0.717, 95% CI (0.715-0.719)], indicating superior predictive value.

Conclusion

Our population-based study indicated that SES was significantly associated with cancer staging and SCC in patients with NSCLC. Our novel TNM-SES staging system showed a superior predictive value to the traditional TNM stage. The impact of SES on patients with NSCLC should receive more concern in clinical management.

The cancer survival index-A prognostic score integrating psychosocial and biological factors in patients diagnosed with cancer or haematologic malignancies

Objective

We aimed to investigate whether (1) psychological and social indicators influence survival in patients diagnosed with cancer or haematologic malignancies when important biological aspects are controlled for, (2) psychological, social and biological indicators can be utilised to design one collated index for survival, usable in clinical practice to identify patients at risk of shorter survival and to improve personalised healthcare provision.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, 2263 patients with cancer or haematologic malignancies participated. We analysed 15 biological, psychological and social indicators as risk factors for survival with a Cox proportional hazards model. Indicators significantly associated with survival were combined to compute models for the identification of patient groups with different risks of death. The training sample contained 1122 patients. Validation samples included the remaining 1141 patients, the total sample, as well as groups with different cancer entities.

Results

Five indicators were found to significantly impact survival: Cancer site (HR: 3.56), metastatic disease (HR: 1.88), symptoms of depression (HR: 1.34), female sex (HR: 0.73) and anaemia (HR: 0.48). Combining these indicators to a model, we developed the Cancer Survival Index, identifying three distinct groups of patients with estimated survival times of 47.2 months, 141 months and 198.2 months (p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis of the influence of depression on survival showed a mediating effect of the following four factors, related to both depression and survival: previous psychiatric conditions, employment status, metastatic disease and haemoglobin levels.

Conclusions

Psychosocial and biological factors impact survival in various malignancies and can be utilised jointly to compute an index for estimating the survival of each patient individually—the Cancer Survival Index.

Survival of Black and White Patients With Stage IV Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is associated with aggressive biology and limited treatment options, making this disease a historical challenge. The influence of race and socioeconomic status on the survival of stage IV SCLC remains mostly unknown. Our study is designed to investigate the clinical survival outcomes in Black and White patients with stage IV SCLC and study the demographic, socioeconomic, clinical features, and treatment patterns of the disease and their impact on survival in Blacks and Whites.

Methods and Results

Stage IV SCLC cases from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 were obtained. The follow-up endpoint is defined as death or the date of the last contact. Patients were divided into two groups by white and black. Features including demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, treatments and survival outcomes in Blacks and Whites were collected. Mortality hazard ratios of Blacks and Whites stage IV SCLC patients were analyzed. Survival of stage IV SCLC Black and White patients was also analyzed. Adjusted hazard ratios were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression models. Patients’ median follow-up time was 8.18 (2.37-15.84) months. Overall survival at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months were 52.4%, 25.7%, 13.2% and 7.9% in Blacks in compared to 51.0%, 23.6%, 11.5% and 6.9% in Whites. White patients had significantly higher socioeconomic status than Black patients. By contrast, Blacks were found associated with younger age at diagnosis, a significantly higher chance of receiving radiation therapy and treatments at an academic/research program. Compared to Whites, Blacks had a 9% decreased risk of death.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that Blacks have significant socioeconomic disadvantages compared to Whites. However, despite these unfavorable factors, survival for Blacks was significantly improved compared to Whites after covariable adjustment. This may be due to Blacks with Stage IV SCLC having a higher chance of receiving radiation therapy and treatments at an academic/research program. Identifying and removing the barriers to obtaining treatments at academic/research programs or improving the management in non-academic centers could improve the overall survival of stage IV SCLC.

Demographic differentials of lung cancer survival in Bangladeshi patients

Background

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Demographic differential has been linked with the treatment outcome and survival in recent literature, mostly from the developed world. Considering diversity in population characteristics across income strata, it’s worth assessing the link in low- and middle-income population as well. Current study aimed to assess the association of demographic characteristics with lung cancer survival in Bangladeshi lung cancer patients.

Methods & results

All newly diagnosed primary lung cancer cases attending the national institute of cancer research & Hospital (NICRH), a tertiary cancer care center in Dhaka, Bangladesh between 2018 and 2019 were considered for the study. Demographic information and clinical data were obtained from the patients’ medical records by a trained physician. Survival estimate was generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared across demographic and clinicopathological categories using the log-rank test. Hazard ratio and 95% CI for treatment options are generated fitting multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression.

Among 1868 patients, 84.6% were males and 15.4% were females, average (± standard deviation) age at diagnosis was 59.6±10.9 years, only 10.8% had not consumed tobacco of any form. Around two-thirds of the patient had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score ≥2, 29.5% had at least one comorbidity and 19.4% had metastasis at the time of presentation. Higher survival was associated with institutional education (HR 0.9; 95% CI 0.77, 0.99), and receipt of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.46, 0.65; p <0.001). In contrast, lower survival was associated with older age between 60–69 years (HR 1.3; 95% CI 1.3, 1.5;), age ≥ 70 years (HR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1, 1.7), having any comorbidity (HR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0, 1.3), with ECOG score ≥ 3 (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.01, 1.96) and receipt of radiotherapy treatments only (HR 1.6; 95% CI 1.3, 1.9).

Conclusion

Older age, presence of one or more comorbidity, poorer performance status, and treatment with only RT appeared as a significant predictor of poorer prognosis of lung cancer in Bangladeshi patients. In contrast, having institutional education and treatment with combined Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy appeared as a predictor of a better prognosis. The finding of this study could serve as a basis for future studies inquiring into novel approaches for certain subgroups of patients believed to be challenged in limited resources.

Social Disparities in Lung Cancer

Social disparities in lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival have been studied using national databases, statewide registries, and institution-level data. Some disparities emerge consistently, such as lower adherence to treatment guidelines and worse survival by race and socioeconomic status, whereas other disparities are less well studied. A critical appraisal of current data is essential to increasing equity in lung cancer care.

Overall survival with warfarin vs. low-molecular-weight heparin in cancer-associated thrombosis

BACKGROUND

When compared with warfarin, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) reduces the incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer. However, a survival benefit of LMWH over warfarin for the treatment of cancer-associated VTE has not been established.

METHODS

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results and Medicare linked database from 2007 through 2016, we identified Medicare beneficiaries (aged ≥66 years) who were: (1) diagnosed with primary gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, lung, ovarian, or brain cancer; (2) diagnosed with cancer-associated VTE; and (3) prescribed LMWH or warfarin within 30 days. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Patients were matched 1:1 using exact matching for cancer stage and propensity score matching for cancer diagnosis, age, year of VTE, and time from cancer diagnosis to index VTE. Cox proportional-hazards regression was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

A total of 9706 patients were included. Warfarin was associated with a significant improvement in OS compared with LMWH (median OS, 9.8 months [95% CI, 9.1-10.4] vs. 7.2 months [95% CI, 6.8-7.8]; HR, 0.86; 95% CI 0.83-0.90; p < .001). The survival advantage was most pronounced in pancreatic (HR 0.82 [95% CI, 0.74-0.90], p < .001) and gastric cancers (HR 0.82 [95% CI, 0.68-0.98], p = .03). The observed differences in survival were consistent across subgroups including cancer stage, age, comorbidity burden, and year of VTE.

CONCLUSIONS

In this population-based study, warfarin was associated with improved OS compared with LMWH for the treatment of cancer-associated VTE.

Health Disparities in Environmental and Occupational Lung Disease

Pulmonary health disparities disproportionately impact disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. This article focuses on disparities in disease prevalence, morbidity, and mortality for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumoconiosis, and lung cancer. Disparities are categorized by race, age, sex, socioeconomic status, and geographic region. Each category highlights differences in risk factors for the development and severity of lung disease. Risk factors include social, behavioral, economic, and biologic determinants of health (occupational/environmental exposures, psychosocial stressors, smoking, health literacy, health care provider bias, and health care access). Many of these risk factors are complex and inter-related; strategies proposed to decrease disparities require multilevel approaches.

Association of Race, Socioeconomic Factors, and Treatment Characteristics With Overall Survival in Patients With Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

IMPORTANCE

It has been established that disparities in race and socioeconomic status are associated with outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer. However, it remains unknown whether this extends to stage I, II, or III small cell lung cancer (SCLC), or limited-stage SCLC (L-SCLC).

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the associations of race, socioeconomic factors, and treatment characteristics with survival among patients with L-SCLC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Demographic information for patients with L-SCLC diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 was obtained from the National Cancer Database. The follow-up end point is death or last follow-up (date of last contact). Patients were divided into 5 mutually exclusive cohorts by race. Data analysis was performed in October 2019.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate univariable and multivariable models. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess the associations of race and socioeconomic factors with risk-adjusted outcomes. Overall survival between groups was depicted by Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

Of 72 409 patients analyzed (median [range] age, 67.0 [23.0-90.0] years), 40 289 (55.6%) were women. The distribution of disease stage was 10 619 patients (14.7%) with stage I disease, 7689 patients (10.6%) with stage II disease, and 54 101 patients (74.7%) with stage III disease. The median (range) duration of follow-up was 8.2 (2.4-15.8) months. Compared with White patients, the hazard of death decreased to 0.92 (95% CI, 0.89-0.95; P < .001) for African American patients and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77-0.91; P < .001) for Asian patients. The difference in median survival among different racial groups was significant only among those with stage III SCLC. Other factors associated with better survival were female sex, high income, high education, private insurance, diagnostic confirmation by positive cytological analysis, increase in number of sampled regional lymph nodes, and earlier stage at diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This analysis highlights disparities in race and socioeconomic factors associated with outcomes of L-SCLC. Racial minorities, including African American and Asian patients, have better survival than White patients for L-SCLC after adjustment for sociodemographic factors.

Predictors of health-related quality of life in Chinese patients receiving treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a prospective longitudinal study

Background

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is currently the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in developed countries and seriously affects the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. However, the majority of the research in this area employs cross-sectional design; longitudinal research investigating changes in HRQoL and influencing factors is limited. The aim of this study was to use a longitudinal study design to investigate descriptive trends in HRQoL and their predictive factors in Chinese AMD patients receiving treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) at baseline and follow-ups.

Methods

In a sample of 142 AMD patients from the outpatient clinic of the Southwest Eye Hospital, a tertiary major hospital in the southwest of China, each patient completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing demographics, clinical features, HRQoL, depression, anxiety, coping style, social support, and self-efficacy at baseline and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up appointments.

Results

The total score of HRQoL fluctuated, with the highest score at the 6-month follow-up and the lowest score at baseline. Multivariable linear regression showed the predictors of HRQoL are best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), income level, depression, and visual acuity (VA) of the treated eye at baseline; BCVA, income, and depression at the 1-month follow-up; duration, area of residence, gender, VA of the treated eye, BCVA, income, anxiety, social support, self-efficacy, and depression at the 3-month follow-up; gender, BCVA, income, anxiety, social support, self-efficacy, depression, negative coping, and positive coping at the 6-month follow-up; and BCVA, social support, self-efficacy, and depression at the 12-month follow-up.

Conclusions

The HRQoL and its predictive factors in Chinese AMD patients receiving anti-VEGF treatment fluctuated over time. It is suggested that medical staff should get more information when planning precise care for improving patients’ HRQoL.

Racial/ethnic differences in survival for patients with gliosarcoma: an analysis of the National cancer database

PURPOSE

Gliosarcoma is characterized by the World Health Organization as a Grade IV malignant neoplasm and a variant of glioblastoma. The association of race and ethnicity with survival has been established for numerous CNS malignancies, however, no epidemiological studies have reported these findings for patients with gliosarcoma. The aim of this study was to examine differences by race and ethnicity in overall survival, 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and 30-day readmission.

METHODS

Data were obtained by query of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for years 2004-2014. Patients with gliosarcoma were identified by International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition (ICD-O-3)-Oncology morphologic code 9442/3 and topographical codes C71.0-C71.9. Differences in survival by race/ethnicity were examined using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Readmission and mortality outcomes were examined with univariable and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 1988 patients diagnosed with gliosarcoma were identified (White Non-Hispanic n = 1,682, Black Non-Hispanic n = 165, Asian n = 40, Hispanic n = 101). There were no differences in overall survival, 30- and 90-day mortality, or 30-day readmission between the races and ethnicities examined. Median survival was 10.4 months for White Non-Hispanics (95% CI 9.8, 11.2), 10.2 months for Black Non-Hispanics (95% CI 8.6, 13.1), 9.0 months for Asian Non-Hispanics (95% CI 5.1, 18.2), and 10.6 months for Hispanics (95% CI 8.3,16.2). 7.3% of all patients examined had an unplanned readmission within 30 days.

CONCLUSION

Race/ethnicity are not associated with differences in overall survival, 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, or 30-day readmission following surgical intervention for gliosarcoma.

Comparison of quality of life of patients on treatment with cisplatin and gemcitabine, carboplatin and gemcitabine, carboplatin and paclitaxel, carboplatin and pemetrexed for non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer is a fatal disease associated with high morbidity. It is important to evaluate the effects of treatment on patient's quality of life. Quality of life can be assessed by using EORTC QLQ - C30 and EORTC QLQ - LC 13. Eighty-six patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into four arms as follows: Patients in arm 1 received cisplatin 80 mg/m ² and gemcitabine 1.25 g/m ² as infusion separately in isotonic normal saline. Arm 2 received carboplatin 300 mg/m ² and gemcitabine 1.2 mg/m ² as infusion separately in 5% dextrose injection. Arm 3 received paclitaxel 100 mg/m ² as infusion in isotonic normal saline and carboplatin 300 mg/m ² as infusion in 5% dextrose injection. Arm 4 received pemetrexed 500 mg/m ² as infusion in isotonic normal saline and carboplatin 300 mg/m ² as infusion in 5% dextrose injection. The quality of life of the enrolled patients is based on EORTC QLQ - C30 and EORTC QLQ - LC 13 questionnaire. Prevalence of non-small cell lung cancer is more in males, 60-70 years of age. Most of the subjects were from rural areas and had only school-level education. The prevalence of non-small cell lung cancer was more with smokers, ex-smokers and patients with multiple social habits. Comorbidities also increase the risk of non-small cell lung cancer. By analyzing EORTC QLQ - C30 and EORTC QLQ - LC 13 questionnaires, it was found that diarrhea was found to be significant between the groups. Global health status and quality of life are distributed equally among each group. Quality of life and global health status are distributed equally among each sub groups.

Socioeconomic Differences and Lung Cancer Survival-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The impact of socioeconomic differences on cancer survival has been investigated for several cancer types showing lower cancer survival in patients from lower socioeconomic groups. However, little is known about the relation between the strength of association and the level of adjustment and level of aggregation of the socioeconomic status measure. Here, we conduct the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of individual and area-based measures of socioeconomic status with lung cancer survival.

Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, we searched for studies on socioeconomic differences in lung cancer survival in four electronic databases. A study was included if it reported a measure of survival in relation to education, income, occupation, or composite measures (indices). If possible, meta-analyses were conducted for studies reporting on individual and area-based socioeconomic measures.

Results: We included 94 studies in the review, of which 23 measured socioeconomic status on an individual level and 71 on an area-based level. Seventeen studies were eligible to be included in the meta-analyses. The meta-analyses revealed a poorer prognosis for patients with low individual income (pooled hazard ratio: 1.13, 95 % confidence interval: 1.08–1.19, reference: high income), but not for individual education. Group comparisons for hazard ratios of area-based studies indicated a poorer prognosis for lower socioeconomic groups, irrespective of the socioeconomic measure. In most studies, reported 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates across socioeconomic status groups showed decreasing rates with decreasing socioeconomic status for both individual and area-based measures. We cannot confirm a consistent relationship between level of aggregation and effect size, however, comparability across studies was hampered by heterogeneous reporting of socioeconomic status and survival measures. Only eight studies considered smoking status in the analysis.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest a weak positive association between individual income and lung cancer survival. Studies reporting on socioeconomic differences in lung cancer survival should consider including smoking status of the patients in their analysis and to stratify by relevant prognostic factors to further explore the reasons for socioeconomic differences. A common definition for socioeconomic status measures is desirable to further enhance comparisons between nations and across different levels of aggregation.

Socio-demographic, Clinical, and Genetic Determinants of Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients

Patient reported health-related quality of life (QOL) is a major component of the overall well-being of cancer patients, with links to prognosis. In 6,420 lung cancer patients, we identified patient characteristics and genetic determinants of QOL. Patient responses from the SF-12 questionnaire was used to calculate normalized Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores. Further, we analyzed 218 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, a key mediator of response to cellular and environmental stress, as genetic determinants of QOL in a subset of the study population (N = 641). Trends among demographic factors for mean PCS and MCS included smoking status (PCS P_trend < 0.001, MCS P_trend < 0.001) and education (PCS P_trend < 0.001, MCS P_trend < 0.001). Similar relationships were seen for MCS. The homozygous rare genotype of MEF2B: rs2040562 showed an increased risk of a poor MCS (OR: 3.06, 95% CI: 1.05–8.92, P = 0.041). Finally, survival analysis showed that a low PCS or a MCS was associated with increased risks of five-year mortality (HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.51–1.77, HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.16–1.32, respectively) and there was a significant reduction in median survival time (P_log-rank < 0.001). These findings suggest that multiple factors contribute to QOL in lung cancer patients, and baseline QOL can impact survival.

A systematic review of the impact of pain on overall survival in patients with cancer

PURPOSE

Pain commonly occurs in cancer patients, and has been associated with shorter survival. However, the importance of pain is less clear when analyzed with other known prognostic variables. This systematic review was performed to better understand how pain impacts overall survival (OS) in common cancers when key clinical variables are included in multivariate analysis.

METHODS

A Medline search was completed to find studies examining the relationship between pain, clinical variables, and OS in patients with breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer. Multivariate analysis included known prognostic variables including age, performance status, disease burden, and laboratory parameters.

RESULTS

Fifty studies met inclusion criteria. In patients with breast, colorectal, and lung cancer, pain was not a significant prognostic factor for OS on multivariate analysis in most studies. In contrast, several studies suggest that pain is an independent prognostic factor for OS in advanced prostate cancer, even when relevant clinical prognostic variables are included. However, analgesic use was often used as a surrogate for prostate cancer pain, making it difficult to determine whether pain or opioid exposure was more important in influencing survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Pain may be associated with shorter survival in patients with cancer, but the mechanism for this relationship is unknown. The available evidence is insufficient to definitively determine if pain independently influences survival in patients with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer. The majority of studies in prostate cancer show pain to be an independent prognostic factor for OS, and often also incorporate opioid analgesic use in multivariate analysis. Prospective studies are needed to better understand how opioid utilization and pain may affect cancer progression and survival in diverse malignancies.

Prognostic impact of minimal pleural effusion in non-small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Minimal (< 10 mm thick) pleural effusion (PE) may represent an early phase of malignant PE, but its clinical relevance has rarely been studied. Therefore, we examined the proportion of minimal PE in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its impact on survival. We also considered possible accumulation mechanisms in our data set.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

On the basis of PE status from chest computed tomography scans at diagnosis, 2,061 patients were classified into three groups: no PE, minimal PE, and malignant PE. Twenty-one variables associated with four factors-patient, stage migration, tumor, and treatment-were investigated for correlation with survival.

RESULTS

Minimal PE presented in 272 patients (13.2%). Of 2,061 patients, the proportion of each stage was the following: 5.2% stage I, 10.9% stage II, 13.2% stage IIIA, 23.8% stage IIIB, and 13.9% stage IV. Minimal PE correlated significantly with shorter survival time than did no PE (median survival time, 7.7 v 17.7 months; log-rank P < .001), even after full adjustment with all variables (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.62). Prognostic impact of minimal PE was higher in early versus advanced stages (Pinteraction = .001). In 237 patients (87.8%) with minimal PE, pleural invasion or attachment as a direct mechanism was observed, and it was an independent factor predicting worse survival (P = .03).

CONCLUSION

Minimal PE is a commonly encountered clinical concern in staging NSCLCs. Its presence is an important prognostic factor of worse survival, especially in early-stage disease.

Effect of patient socioeconomic status on access to early-phase cancer trials

PURPOSE

Little is known about the influence of socioeconomic factors on patient access to cancer trials. Differences should be considered to ensure generalizability of trial results and equality of access.

METHODS

Phase I trials unit referrals at our center over 5 years, from 2007 to 2012, were reviewed. Socioeconomic status was defined by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD; 1, least deprived; 5, most deprived). Multivariate analysis was performed comparing incident cancer cases with referred patients and those ultimately enrolled onto a trial.

RESULTS

Four hundred thirty patients were referred (median age, 62 years). Compared with 10,784 incident cases, referral was less likely for patients in the more-deprived quintiles compared with the least deprived (IMD 5: odds ratio [OR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.74). Once reviewed in the unit, enrollment onto a trial was not affected (IMD 5: OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.40 to 1.63). Ethnicity analysis showed the nonwhite population was less likely to be recruited (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.88). This relationship was lost with adjustment for age, sex, cancer type, and deprivation index.

CONCLUSION

We show for the first time to our knowledge that socioeconomic status affects early-phase cancer trial referrals. The least-deprived patients are almost twice as likely to be referred compared with the most deprived. This may be because more-deprived patients are less suitable for a trial-as a result of comorbidities, for example-or because of inequalities that could be addressed by patient or referrer education. Once reviewed at the unit, enrollment onto a trial is not affected by deprivation.

Development and cross-validation of the in-hospital mortality prediction in advanced cancer patients score: a preliminary study

PURPOSE

Acute palliative care units (APCUs) provide intensive symptom support and transition of care for advanced cancer patients. Better understanding of the predictors of in-hospital mortality is needed to facilitate program planning and patient care. In this prospective study, we identified predictors of APCU mortality, and developed a four-item In-hospital Mortality Prediction in Advanced Cancer Patients (IMPACT) predictive model.

METHODS

Between April and July 2010, we documented baseline demographics, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), 80 clinical signs including known prognostic factors, and 26 acute complications on admission in consecutive APCU patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors for inclusion in a nomogram, which was cross-validated with bootstrap analysis.

RESULTS

Among 151 consecutive patients, the median age was 58, 13 (9%) had hematologic malignancies, and 52 (34%) died in the hospital. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with in-hospital mortality were advanced education (odds ration [OR]=11.8, p=0.002), hematologic malignancies (OR=8.6, p=0.02), delirium (OR=4.3, p=0.02), and high ESAS global distress score (OR=20.8, p=0.01). In a nomogram based on these four factors, total scores of 6, 10, 14, 17, and 21 corresponded to a risk of death of 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90%, respectively. The model has 92% sensitivity and 88% specificity for predicting patients at low/high risk of dying in the hospital, and a receiver-operator characteristic curve concordance index of 83%.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher education was associated with increased utilization of the interdisciplinary palliative care unit until at the end of life. Patients with higher symptom burden, delirium, and hematologic malignancies were also more likely to require APCU care until death.

Neighborhood-level socioeconomic determinants impact outcomes in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients in the Southeastern United States

BACKGROUND

Studies examining the impact of lower socioeconomic status (SES) on the outcomes of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to clearly elucidate the association between SES, education, and clinical outcomes among patients with NSCLC.

METHODS

The study population was derived from a consecutive, retrospective cohort of patients with NSCLC who received treatment within the Duke Health System between 1995 and 2007. SES determinants were based on the individual's census tract and corresponding 2000 Census data. Determinants included the percentage of the population living below poverty, the median household income, and the percentages of residents with at least a high school diploma and at least a bachelor's degree. The SES and educational variables were divided into quartiles. Statistical comparisons were performed using the 25th and 75th percentiles.

RESULTS

Individuals who resided in areas with a low median household income or in which a high percentage of residents were living below the poverty line had a shorter cancer-specific 6-year survival than individuals who resided in converse areas (P = .0167 and P = .0067, respectively). Those living in areas in which a higher percentage of residents achieved a high school diploma had improved disease outcomes compared with those living in areas in which a lower percentage attained a high school diploma (P = .0033). A survival advantage also was observed for inhabitants of areas in which a higher percentage of residents attained a bachelor's degree (P = .0455).

CONCLUSIONS

Low SES was identified as an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in patients with both early and advanced stage NSCLC. Patients who lived in areas with high poverty levels, low median incomes, and low education levels had worse mortality.

Prognostic impact of education level of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer enrolled in clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic status can potentially affect prognosis of cancer patients. Our aim was to describe potential differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment, and survival by education level in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) enrolled in clinical trials of first-line treatment.

METHODS

Individual data of Italian patients with advanced NSCLC (stage IV, or IIIB with supraclavicular nodes or malignant pleural effusion), ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2, enrolled in four phase III randomized trials conducted between 1996 and 2005 were pooled. Information about education was available for 1680 of 1709 patients (98.3%). Patients were divided in two groups according to education level: high (patients with at least high school diploma) or low (those with less than high school diploma). Survival analyses were stratified by treatment arm within trial.

RESULTS

There were 312 (19%) and 1368 (81%) patients with high and low education, respectively. Education level was significantly different among birth cohorts, with a time-trend toward higher education level. Patients with high education were significantly younger (median age 65 vs. 70), were less frequently unfit at diagnosis (ECOG PS2 5% vs. 16%), and their tumor type was more frequently adenocarcinoma (47% vs. 37%). Number of treatment cycles received was not significantly different between education groups. Median survival was 9.4 and 7.6 months in high and low education, respectively (p=0.012). At multivariable analysis, female sex, better PS and high education level (Hazard Ratio 0.85, 95%CI 0.73-0.99, p=0.03) were independently associated with longer survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In Italian patients enrolled in four randomized trials of first-line chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC, high education was significantly more frequent among younger patients, and was associated with lower proportion of PS2 patients. Education level did not significantly affect number of chemotherapy cycles received. Overall survival was longer in patients with high education, after adjustment for PS and other prognostic factors. The exact underlying mechanisms of the independent prognostic role of education level are substantially unknown, but lead-time bias (anticipation in diagnosis and time to inclusion in the trial), differences in adherence to care outside the trial procedures, differences in comorbidities and life-style factors may all contribute.

Effect of socioeconomic status as measured by education level on survival in breast cancer clinical trials

OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to investigate the effect of socioeconomic status, as measured by education, on the survival of breast cancer patients treated on 10 studies conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B.

METHODS

Sociodemographic data, including education, were reported by the patient at trial enrollment. Cox proportional hazards model stratified by treatment arm/study was used to examine the effect of education on survival among patients with early stage and metastatic breast cancer, after adjustment for known prognostic factors.

RESULTS

The patient population included 1020 patients with metastatic disease and 5146 patients with early stage disease. Among metastatic patients, factors associated with poorer survival in the final multivariable model included African American race, never married, negative estrogen receptor status, prior hormonal therapy, visceral involvement, and bone involvement. Among early stage patients, significant factors associated with poorer survival included African American race, separated/widowed, post/perimenopausal, negative/unknown estrogen receptor status, negative progesterone receptor status, >4 positive nodes, tumor diameter >2 cm, and education. Having not completed high school was associated with poorer survival among early stage patients. Among metastatic patients, non-African American women who lacked a high school degree had poorer survival than other non-African American women, and African American women who lacked a high school education had better survival than educated African American women.

CONCLUSIONS

Having less than a high school education is a risk factor for death among patients with early stage breast cancer who participated in a clinical trial, with its impact among metastatic patients being less clear. Post-trial survivorship plans need to focus on women with low social status, as measured by education.

Bone metastasis and poor performance status are prognostic factors for survival of carcinoma of unknown primary site in patients treated with systematic chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Cancer of unknown primary site (CUP) generally has a poor prognosis, and there is no established standard therapy. There have been no reports of a prognostic model for CUP patients treated with a single regimen of systemic chemotherapy.

METHODS

Univariate and multivariate prognostic factor analysis for overall survival (OS) were conducted retrospectively in 58 consecutive CUP patients treated with carboplatin plus paclitaxel (Taxol) therapy as a first-line treatment.

RESULTS

Univariate prognostic factor analysis revealed baseline performance status (PS) of two or more, low serum albumin level, pleural effusion, bone metastasis, and liver metastasis as adverse prognostic factors. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that poor PS and bone metastasis had the most powerful adverse impact on survival. We developed a prognostic model using those two variables-a good-risk group (PS 0-1 without bone metastasis) and a poor-risk group (PS > or =2 or bone metastasis). The poor-risk group showed significantly poorer OS than the good-risk group (1 year OS 36.8% versus 67.1%, P = 0.0003).

CONCLUSIONS

Poor PS and bone metastasis were identified as independent adverse prognostic factors in CUP. A simple prognostic model was developed and seems useful for decision making as to whether chemotherapy is indicated for CUP patients.