Has lung cancer in the elderly different characteristics at presentation?

  • Authors:
    • Maurizio Montella
    • Cesare Gridelli
    • Anna Crispo
    • Francesco Scognamiglio
    • Pasquale Ruffolo
    • Tindaro Gatani
    • Vincenzo Boccia
    • Paolo Maione
    • Gabriella Fabbrocini
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 1, 2002     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.9.5.1093
  • Pages: 1093-1096
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Lung cancer is the first cause of cancer death for males aged ≥35 years, and the second for females aged between 35 and 70 years. Elderly patients seem to have the worst performance status (PS) and earlier stage of disease at diagnosis. We analyzed data concerning 1,035 patients with lung cancer referred to the National Cancer Institute of Naples. The variables considered in the analysis were: gender; type of cancer [small cell lung cancer (SCLC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)]; ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) PS, the stage of disease at diagnosis, the histological type, age at diagnosis. In order to better assess the relevance of age at diagnosis in lung cancer patients we categorized the age into two groups (young ≤70; old >70 years). The statistical analyses were performed using χ2 trend test with corresponding p-value and odds ratios (OR) for the examined variables, with a corresponding 95% confidence interval. These were derived using multiple logistic regression, fitted by the maximum likelihood method. For all the 1035 patients the risk between the age at diagnosis and the performance status was not statistically significant (OR=1.1, 95%CI 0.8-1.5). We repeated the same risk distinguishing the histological type and we analyzed the performance status for the SCLC (OR=1.0, 95%CI 0.4-2.5) and the stage at diagnosis (OR=1.0, 95%CI 0.4-3.0), without any significant difference. Our study showed that elderly patients with lung cancer do not seem to have different characteristics at presentation, particularly related to stage of disease, PS and histology, as compared to their younger counterpart. Other characteristics such as type and number of co-morbidities and organ function differ in the two groups of populations.

Related Articles

Journal Cover

September-October 2002
Volume 9 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Montella M, Gridelli C, Crispo A, Scognamiglio F, Ruffolo P, Gatani T, Boccia V, Maione P and Fabbrocini G: Has lung cancer in the elderly different characteristics at presentation?. Oncol Rep 9: 1093-1096, 2002
APA
Montella, M., Gridelli, C., Crispo, A., Scognamiglio, F., Ruffolo, P., Gatani, T. ... Fabbrocini, G. (2002). Has lung cancer in the elderly different characteristics at presentation?. Oncology Reports, 9, 1093-1096. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.9.5.1093
MLA
Montella, M., Gridelli, C., Crispo, A., Scognamiglio, F., Ruffolo, P., Gatani, T., Boccia, V., Maione, P., Fabbrocini, G."Has lung cancer in the elderly different characteristics at presentation?". Oncology Reports 9.5 (2002): 1093-1096.
Chicago
Montella, M., Gridelli, C., Crispo, A., Scognamiglio, F., Ruffolo, P., Gatani, T., Boccia, V., Maione, P., Fabbrocini, G."Has lung cancer in the elderly different characteristics at presentation?". Oncology Reports 9, no. 5 (2002): 1093-1096. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.9.5.1093