title: Impact of preoperative hemoglobin level on survival of non-small cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Only a few studies have reported any prognostic impact of the preoperative hemoglobin level itself in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The survival impact of preoperative hemoglobin level and the relationship between hemoglobin and serum CEA level were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and forty consecutive NSCLC patients were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year survival of patients with low and those with a normal hemoglobin level was 42.99% and 73.47%, respectively. Both univariate and multivariate analyses indicated the independent prognostic impact of the hemoglobin level. The result for stage I patients was identical. Patients with normal hemoglobin could be subdivided into 2 groups based on their serum CEA level; the 5-year survival of patients with normal and those with elevated CEA was 81.72% and 57.24%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preoperative hemoglobin level was a prognostic factor for NSCLC patients. The combined use of hemoglobin and CEA levels might be useful to predict the prognosis of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, Japan. mtomita@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayabe
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onitsuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D006454:Hemoglobins