Kinsey M, epar R ul SJ e E, Wei Y, Washko GR, Christiani DC. Regional Emphysema of a Non-Small Cell Tumor Is Associated with Larger Tumors and Decreased Survival Rates.. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015;12(8):1197–205.
Abstract
RATIONALE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with a worse overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer. Lung emphysema is one component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We hypothesized that emphysema of the tumor region may result in larger tumors and a poorer overall survival. METHODS: We evaluated 304 cases of non-small cell lung cancer from a prospectively enrolled cohort. The lung was divided into equal volumetric thirds (upper, middle, or lower region). Emphysema was defined as percentage of low-attenuation areas less than -950 Hounsfield units (%LAA-950) and measured for each region. Whole-lung %LAA-950 was defined as the emphysema score of the entire lung parenchyma, whereas regional %LAA-950 was the score within that particular region (upper, middle, or lower). The emphysema score of the region in which the tumor occurred was defined as the tumor %LAA-950. Tumor diameter was measured while blinded to characteristics of the lung parenchyma. A proportional hazards model was used to control for multiple factors associated with survival.
Last updated on 02/26/2023