title: Predictors of long-term survival of lung cancer patients in a Norwegian community.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few population-based studies are available on more than 5 years survival of lung cancer patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this report were to study the survival and the predictors of survival in all lung cancer patients in a defined population and to determine whether and how the length of time from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis (delay time) influenced survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study, all incident cases from the Norwegian Cancer Registry and the hospital records in the Haugalandet area from 1990 to 1996 were followed until 31 December 2008. The dates of symptom onset, diagnosis, and death and information about demographics, initial stage, performance status, histology and initial symptoms were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 271 patients, 57 (21%) were women, and the mean age at diagnosis was 67.4 years. One-year survival was 29.2%, and five- and 10-year survival was 8.5% and 5.5%, respectively. The median (inter quartile range, IQR) survival time was 5.7 (1.9, 14.1) months and the median (IQR) delay time was 2.2 (1.1, 3.7) months. Twenty-five patients (10% of those who died) had a non-lung cancer cause of death. No weight loss at the time of diagnosis was a significant predictor for long survival in addition to younger age, limited stage, good functional performance and surgical treatment, but delay time for diagnosis had no effect on survival time for lung cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the whole population of lung cancer patients, long-term survival remains poor and is not influenced by the diagnostic delay time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Haugesund Hospital, Health Region of Fonna, Haugesund, Norway. dr.knut@skaug.no
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skaug
authors.forename: Geir Egil
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Eide
authors.forename: Amund
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulsvik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate