Abstract
Weight loss (WL) may be an important feature in the shorter survival rates experienced by advanced lung cancer patients. The study goal is to analyse WL as a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer as well as establish cutoff values. A prospective cohort included 104 new metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients (stage IV) admitted from January 2009 to November 2012 in an oncology southern Brazilian hospital center. They were managed uniformly. The follow up period was up to three months after the cancer diagnosis. Adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent histological tumor type found in 57 (54.7%) patients. Regarding the ECOG PS score, the median was 2 (IQR 1–3). Most patients, 83, underwent chemotherapy (60.6%). All the presented WL cutoff level values were statistically significant in 6 months. The median of IQR WL in 6 months of ≥6% presented 77 days of survival (Chi2 6.60; P-value 0.0102). At a 5% or higher WL in 6 months, the median survival was 78 days (Chi2 3.94; P-value 0.0471). As the cutoff level of WL in 6 months is raised to 10% and 15% the results are respectively the following: 73 days (Chi2 11.58; P-value 0.0007) and 66 days (Chi2 23.78; P-value 0.0000). Multivariate analysis data showed similar results. As the WL in 6 months cutoff level increases, the higher is the death risk in the follow-up period of three months in this cohort of advanced lung cancer patients.
- © 2014 ERS