The Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Different Age Patients with Lung Cancer

Cancer is closely related to age, and the incidence of cancer increases with age. However, there are few studies on the relationship between age and clinical characteristics of lung cancer.

We collected all the consecutive lung cancer cases from 2012 to 2017 in our hospital and divided them into 6 groups according to their ages: ≤40 y/o, 41~50 y/o, 51~60 y/o, 61~70 y/o, 71~80 y/o and >80 y/o. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of these patients were evaluated.

There were 1143 cases diagnosed in our hospital from 2012 to 2017. There were more non-smokers (p<0.01), stage IV (p<0.01) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion (p<0.01) patients but less stage I patients in ≤40 y/o group compared with other age groups. It seemed that older patients were more likely had co-exist driver gene mutations (p=0.04). There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) among these 6 age groups. However, the age may be an independent prognostic factor compared with the patients in ≤40 y/o group, the patients in >80 y/o group were associated with a higher mortality risk, while the patients in other groups had the similar mortality risk.

There are some differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis among different age groups. The reasons behind the phenomenon are largely unclear. The age should be taken into account when we develop clinical trials.