Charlson comorbidity index predicts treatment tolerance and survival in non-small cell lung cancer: a multivariable...

To investigate the effect of the Charlson Comorbidity Index on treatment tolerance and survival prognosis in NSCLC patients through multivariate regression analysis, providing clinically relevant evidence. A total of 205 patients with NSCLC diagnosed from January 2022 to January 2025 at a tertiary hospital were enrolled and categorized into Observation group(moderate-to-high burden, CCI ≥ 3) and Control group(low-burden, CCI < 3) based on CCI scores. All patients received standard treatments, with evaluations including treatment completion rate, incidence of adverse events and overall survival (OS). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were employed, adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, smoking history, NSCLC stage, and ECOG score. The moderate-to-high burden group had older age (t = 4.321, P < 0.001) and a higher proportion of males (χ²=5.678, P = 0.017). Treatment completion rate was lower (χ²=12.345, P < 0.001), and adverse event incidence was higher, e.g., neutropenia (χ²=6.789, P = 0.009). Survival analysis revealed shorter OS in the moderate-to-high burden group (χ²=15.432, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression confirmed CCI as an independent risk factor for OS (Wald = 14.756, P < 0.001), and multivariate logistic regression indicated CCI's impact on treatment tolerance (Wald = 9.812, P = 0.002). The Charlson Comorbidity Index significantly affects treatment tolerance and survival prognosis in NSCLC patients, serving as an independent risk factor in multivariate analyses. These findings support the integration of CCI assessment into clinical practice to optimize personalized treatment strategies and enhance patient management.