Marital status and non-small cell lung cancer survival: the Lung Cancer Database Project in Japan.
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.
Saito-Nakaya
Kumi
K
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan.
Nakaya
Naoki
N
Akechi
Tatsuo
T
Inagaki
Masatoshi
M
Asai
Mariko
M
Goto
Koichi
K
Nagai
Kanji
K
Nishiwaki
Yutaka
Y
Tsugane
Shoichiro
S
Fukudo
Shin
S
Uchitomi
Yosuke
Y
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