Prognostic factors to survival in patients with lung cancer and superior vena cava syndrome: A retrospective analysis

Background: Although this oncologic emergency was first described in 1757 by William Hunter, nowadays there is still a paucity of studies about survival factors in patients (pts) with superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). Aims: To evaluate in lung cancer pts admitted with SVCS: treatments used and their responses, survival results and prognostic factors to survival. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 45 pts with SVCS admitted to our pulmonologic center from 2010 to 2015. Overall survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meyer method. Prognostic groups were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: Most pts were male (75%). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was the most frequent histological type (60%) (42%-adenocarcinoma; 18%-squamous-cell carcinoma), followed by small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (31%). Metastatic disease was present in 80% of cases at time of SCVS diagnosis. Median survival of pts with SCLC was significantly higher than NSCLC (6.8 vs. 2.9 months, p Conclusions: In our study, poor PS, NSCLC, major clinical severity and lack of response to treatment were associated with worse survival, whereas SCLC (good responders to chemo and radiotherapy) and stent use (but not radiotherapy) in NSCLC were positively related to survival.