title: Marital status is an independent prognostic factor for tracheal cancer patients: an analysis of the SEER database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although marital status is an independent prognostic factor in many cancers, its prognostic impact on tracheal cancer has not yet been determined. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between marital status and survival in patients with tracheal cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with unmarried patients (42.67%), married patients (57.33%) had better 5-year OS (25.64% vs. 35.89%, p = 0.009) and 5-year TCSS (44.58% vs. 58.75%, p = 0.004). Results of multivariate analysis indicated that marital status is an independent prognostic factor, with married patients showing better OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-0.95, p = 0.015) and TCSS (HR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.54-0.91, p = 0.008). In addition, subgroup analysis suggested that marital status plays a more important role in the TCSS of patients with non-low-grade malignant tumors (HR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.53-0.93, p = 0.015).
  
  
  METHODS
  We extracted 600 cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Variables were compared by Pearson chi-squared test, t-test, log-rank test, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Overall survival (OS) and tracheal cancer-specific survival (TCSS) were compared between subgroups with different pathologic features and tumor stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Marital status is an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with tracheal cancer. For that reason, additional social support may be needed for unmarried patients, especially those with non-low-grade malignant tumors.
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Mu
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chen-Yang
authors: CY
authors: Dai
authors: Deloitte and Touche Financial Advisory Services Limited, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yu-Ning
authors: YN
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Long
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Dong
authors: D
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Mao
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chang
authors: C
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018426:SEER Program; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014134:Tracheal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*
keywords: SEER; marital status; socio-economics; survival analysis; tracheal cancer