title: The effect of smoking status on survival following radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: The dangers of cigarette smoking are numerous and well-known, including the causal relationship to lung cancer. This study investigates the effect that smoking status at initial consultation has on radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We identified 237 patients treated between 1991 and 2001 with definitive radiation or chemoradiation who had complete smoking histories. Median age was 73, with 56% males. Distribution by stage was as follows: I/II-27%, IIIA-27%, IIIB-45%, recurrent-1%. Two-year overall survival, stratified by stage of disease, was calculated from the time of initiation of treatment. Median follow-up time from the end of treatment was 13 months. Among those with stage I/II disease, current smokers had a 2-year survival rate of 41% and a median survival of 13.7 months while non-smokers had a 2-year survival of 56% and a median survival of 27.9 months (P = 0.01). Patients with stage III disease did not show any significant differences in overall survival. There were no significant differences in cancer-specific survival in either stage. In conclusion, among NSCLC patients diagnosed with early stage disease, current smokers have a poorer prognosis for survival after radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Box 22, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Jana L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Rosenzweig
authors.forename: Jamie S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ostroff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome