Duration of smoking abstinence as a predictor for non-small-cell lung cancer survival in women.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Previous studies have attempted to investigate the impact of smoking cessation on lung cancer survival but have been limited by small numbers of former smokers and incomplete data.

METHODS:

Over a six-year period, 5229 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were enrolled in a prospective cohort of whom 2052 were former smokers. Patient's characteristics were obtained from medical records and a baseline interview. Vital status was determined through multiple sources. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effect of smoking abstinence on post-diagnosis mortality.

RESULTS:

For all patients with NSCLC, the median survival among never, former, and current smokers was 1.4 years, 1.3 years, and 1.1 years, respectively (P < 0.01). Female NSCLC patients had a significantly lower risk of mortality with a longer duration of smoking abstinence (RR per 10 years of smoking abstinence = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.97). No effect of smoking abstinence on mortality was observed for women with SCLC or for men with either histologic group.

CONCLUSIONS:

The identification of smoking history as a prognostic factor in lung cancer survival supports previous research suggesting a direct biologic effect of smoking on survival. However, this effect may vary by sex and type of lung cancer.

• Authors: J O Ebbert, B A Williams, Z Sun, M C Aubry, J A Wampfler, Y I Garces, R L Meyer, P Yang
• Journal: Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) (Lung Cancer) Vol. 47 Issue 2 Pg. 165-72 (Feb 2005) ISSN: 0169-5002 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 15639715 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Aged
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (mortality, pathology)
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (mortality, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Sex Factors
• Smoking Cessation
• Survival Analysis
• Time Factors