title: Validation of the Charlson comorbidity index in patients with operated primary non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate the influence of the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) in patients with operated primary non-small cell lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1996 to December 2001, 205 consecutive resections for non-small cell lung cancer were performed at the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam. The patients ranged in age from 29 to 82 years, with a mean age of 64 years. In a retrospective study, each patient was scaled according to the CCI and the complications of surgery were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hospital mortality was 2.4% (5/205). Of the 205 patients 167 (32.7%) experienced minor complications and 32 (15.6%) major complications. In univariate analysis, gender, grades 3-4 of the CCI, any prior tumor treated in the last 5 years and chronic pulmonary disease were significant predictors of adverse outcome. Multivariate analysis showed that only grades 3-4 of the CCI was predictive (odds ratio=9.8; 95% confidence interval=2.1-45.9). Although only comorbidity grades 3-4 was a significant predictor, for every increase of the comorbidity grade the relative risk of adverse outcome showed a slight increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CCI is strongly correlated with higher risk of surgery in primary non-small cell lung cancer patients and is a better predictor than individual risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Rotterdam Oncological Thoracic Studygroup (ROTS), Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Birim
authors.forename: A P W M
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maat
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kappetein
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Meerbeeck
authors.forename: R A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Damhuis
authors.forename: A J J C
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bogers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012723:Sex