Survival and Factors Affecting it in Lung Cancer Patients Referred to Imam Khomeini Clinic in Hamadan Province

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of death due to cancer in the world. It has the highest mortality rate compared to breast, prostate, and other cancers. Different factors can be effective in the survival of lung cancer patients. The present study has evaluated survival and its related factors.

The present study was performed on 157 lung cancer patients referred to Imam Khomeini Specialized Clinic in Hamadan during 2003-2017. Patient follow-up was performed through periodic referrals and telephone calls with patients’ relatives. The survival rate was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival of different levels of variables. Data analysis was then carried out using SPSS version 23.0 and STATA version14.0. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in all tests.

Of 157 patients with lung cancer, 86% were male. The mean and median survival times of patients were 15 and 11 months, respectively. The results of log-rank test indicated that metastasis and site of metastasis were effective in patient survival (P < 0.05).

The results of the present study showed that the presence of metastasis is a strong factor for the survival of patients; therefore, it seems necessary to diagnose the disease as early as possible using a screening program.