The effect of different comorbidities on survival of non-small cells lung cancer patients
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Competing-Risk Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival in Multiple Primary Colorectal Cancer Patients after Surgery
Published on: September 27, 2024
Maria Iachina1, Erik Jakobsen, Henrik Møller
1Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, Entrance 101, 4rd Floor, 5000, Odense C, Denmark, maria.iachina@rsyd.dk.
Purpose:
Primary lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancers. Comorbidity has been shown to be a negative prognostic factor in the overall lung cancer population. The significance of the individual comorbidities is less well known. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of each comorbid disease groups on survival.
Methods:
The analysis is based on all patients with NSCLC who were registered in 2009-2011, in total 10,378 patients. To estimate the effect of each comorbidity group on the survival, we fitted a Cox regression model for each comorbidity group adjusting for age, sex, resection, and stage.
Results:
Patients with cardiovascular comorbidity have a 30% higher death rate [HR 1.30 with 95% CI (1.13; 1.49)] than patients without comorbidity. Patients with diabetes and patients with cerebrovascular disorders and COPD have a 20% excess mortality than patients without comorbidity: [HR 1.19 with CI (1.02; 1.39) for diabetes, HR 1.18 with CI (1.05; 1.33) for cerebrovascular disorders, and HR 1.20 with CI (1.10; 1.39 for COPD)].
Conclusion:
Our study shows the importance of cardiovascular disease in lung cancer. Diabetes, cerebrovascular disorders, and COPD also have a significant impact on survival of NSCLC patients.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Survival Analysis
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
Treatment Resistant Cancers
