Pulmonary function parameters as prognostic factors in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

AIM: To investigate the impact of some parameters of lung function (forced expiratory volumen in 1 second - FEV1, forced vital capacity - FVC and ratio FEV1/FVC%) on survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: It retrospectively analyzed data of 155 patients with NSCLC receiving second-line treatment in the Clinic for Lung Diseases, Clinical Center Nis, Serbia, from October 2009 to December 2012. Fifteen potential prognostic variables were subjected to univariate and multivariate analysis to investigate prognostic impact to survival. RESULTS: Among the total of 155 patients, 124 (80%) were males. The most frequent was squamous carcinoma, 86 (55,5%). Mean FEV1 was 1.89 ± 0.71 L (61.8%), mean FVC 2.95 ± 0.8 L (77.2%) and mean FEV1/FVC% was 63.6%. In a multivariate analysis using Cox regression hazard model (hazard ratio, HR), independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) were: FEV1 less than 50% of predicted HR= 4.513, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.433-14.216 (p=0.010), performance status 2 (HR= 0.090, CI= 0.035-0.230 (p=0.000) and weight loss more than 5 % (HR= 0.162, CI= 0.068-0.382 (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: FEV1 in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving chemotherapy is an important independent factor that can predict survival. There was close relationship between impaired lung function and lung cancer patients survival.