title: Marital status and non-small cell lung cancer survival: the Lung Cancer Database Project in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have suggested that marital status is associated with survival from lung cancer; however, its association is not conclusive. The association between marital status and survival in Japanese patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was prospectively investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 1999 and July 2004, a total of 1230 NSCLC patients were enrolled. The baseline survey consisted of the collection of clinical information and various demographic data, including marital status. A Cox regression model was used to estimate the hazards ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality adjustments for age, BMI, education level, performance status, histology type, clinical stage, smoking status, choice of definitive treatment, and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The multivariable adjusted HR of male widowed patients versus male married patients was 1.7 (95% confidence interval=1.2-2.5, p=0.005). However, no significant increased risk of death in female widowed patients compared with female married patients was observed (HR=0.7, 95% confidence interval=0.5-1.1, p=0.15). With regard to separated/divorced and single patients no significant increased risk of death in male and/or female compared with married patients was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data suggest that male widowed patients with NSCLC have a higher mortality rate than male married patients with NSCLC, after controlling for various factors.
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito-Nakaya
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakaya
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akechi
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki
authors.forename: Shoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsugane
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukudo
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchitomi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003863:Depression / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017805:Widowhood / Q000706:statistics & numerical data