Tumor size is an important predictor of survival in patients with early-stage lung cancer, says a study published in the November issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). The study shows that patients with lung tumors less than 2 cm in size had a higher 5-year survival rate than patients with tumors 2 to 3 cm in size. The study also suggests that despite current lung cancer staging guidelines, which categorize lung tumors as being less than, equal to, or more than the baseline value of 3 cm, further substaging may be needed to accurately assess and treat the disease.

"Although previous studies have noted a distinct difference in survival between patients with nonmetastasized tumors less than 3 cm [stage IA] and tumors more than 3 cm in size [stage IB], little information is available on whether size remains an important determinant of survival in tumors less than 3 cm," said Jeffrey L. Port, MD, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. "Our study indicates that within stage IA, a tumor size difference of even 1 cm can impact survival, leading us to believe that further substaging of stage IA lung cancer is necessary to ensure patients in this stage are receiving the most effective treatment."

Researchers from Weill Medical College of Cornell University evaluated the relationship between tumor size and 5-year survival in patients with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers reviewed the history of 244 patients who underwent surgical resection for lung tumors. Overall mortality/survival rates and mortality/survival rates specific to lung cancer were analyzed and compared to tumor size. The overall 5-year survival rate in patients was 71.1 percent, as compared to the overall 5-year disease-specific survival rate of 74.9 percent. In regards to tumor size, disease-specific survival was 81.4 pe
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Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
10-Nov-2003

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