title: Effect of Race and Insurance on the Outcome of Stage I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States, with reported inferior survival among African-Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used to compare survival outcomes of 569 patients diagnosed with stage I non-small cell lung cancer from 2001-2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  African-Americans and Whites differed significantly by age, sex, and insurance type. The median follow-up was 2.3 years. The 2-, 5- and 8-year overall survival was 72%, 47%, and 38%, respectively. Age, stage, insurance type, and surgery were significant predictors of overall survival which remained significant after adjusting for other variables, including race, gender, histology, smoking history, treatment era, chemotherapy or radiotherapy which were not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insurance status but not race is an important predictor of survival in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Seidman Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Tithi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Seidman Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Podder
authors.affiliation: Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, U.S.A. Center for Health Disparities, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, U.S.A. jimmy.efird@stanfordalumni.org.
authors.forename: Jimmy T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Efird
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D044465:White People
keywords: Lung cancer; insurance; race; survival