Patients’ pretreatment quality of life can predict overall lung cancer survival

	Tweet

Research published in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology has found that an individual’s quality of life prior to treatment can help predict the overall survival of patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

For those with advanced stage NSCLC, the median overall survival varies between six and 12 months, with approximately one-third of patients surviving past the one year mark. To better understand the factors that predict the overall survival of patients with NSCLC, various research has been done in the past to determine whether or not pretreatment quality of life can help predict overall survival, but yielding conflicting results. To provide a more definitive answer on this question, Yingwei Qi, M.D., M.S., of the Mayo Clinic Rochester in Minnesota, and a team of researchers conducted a pooled analysis of research from six different clinical trials, representing 420 patients overall.

The researchers found that patients’ self-assessment of their pretreatment quality of life, measured by the single-item Spitzer Uniscale, can alone predict overall survival, and that for those with a low score, the risk of death was twice as high as for those with high scores. 

"This research shows conclusively that, even when we adjust for variables, how patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer rate their quality of life with the Uniscale tool prior to treatment can predict their overall survival rate,” says Dr. Qi. “With the knowledge that quality of life is an independent prognostic factor, doctors will be better able to use this tool in patient assessment to provide more accurate prediction of overall survival.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women in the United States, and NSCLC accounts for 80 percent of all lung cancer cases.

###

Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO)
The JTO is rapidly becoming a prized resource for medical specialists and scientists who focus on the detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. The JTO is the official monthly journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC.org) and emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, including original research (clinical trials and translational or basic research), reviews and opinion pieces.

Contact: Bethany Fischer

202-955-6222
International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer

RELATED STORIES:
Scientists Identify New Gene Associated with Lung Cancer   Narrow-band imaging increases specificity of early lung cancer detection   New test predicts if lung cancer will spread   Secondhand smoke exposure in childhood increases lung cancer risk later in life   Predicting Survival of Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer   Women Smokers, Higher Risk But Lower Death Rates from Lung Cancer   Hormone replacement tied to lung cancer risk   Simple blood test detects lung cancer before it’s too late   Early morning smokers have increased risk of lung and head and neck cancers   BATTLE Trial Personalizes Lung Cancer Therapy   Certain Vitamin Supplements May Increase Lung Cancer Risk, Especially in Smokers   Lung cancer patients may live longer with Alimta   Radiation ‘Highly Effective’ in Early Lung Cancer   New lung cancer drug shows dramatic results for shrinking tumors   Red wine may ward off lung cancer: study   Lung Cancer Screening Encouraged for Smokers with History of the Disease   Long-Term Use of Nutrient Supplements May Increase Cancer Risk   New lung cancer test predicts survival   Study Helps Explain Why Black Patients with Lung Cancer Have Surgery Less Often than Whites   Estrogen-only therapy may not up lung cancer deaths   Gene found that may predict lung cancer in smokers   Women Catching Up to Men in Lung Cancer Deaths

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]