Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30044854›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

Age, comorbidity, life expectancy, and pulmonary nodule follow-up in older veterans.

Melisa L Wong, Ying Shi, Kathy Z Fung, Sarah Ngo, Brett M Elicker, James K Brown, Robert A Hiatt, Victoria L Tang, Louise C Walter

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Melisa L WongDivision of Hematology/Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-6390-6959
Ying ShiDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Kathy Z FungDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Sarah NgoDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Brett M ElickerDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
James K BrownPulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Section, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Robert A HiattDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Victoria L TangDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Louise C WalterDivision of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
San Francisco VA Medical Center · USUniversity of California, San Francisco · US

Funding

VARC CoreP30AG044281 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Alexander Keliimoeanu Smith · 2013 to 2026
$19.9M
Institutional Career Development Core SupplementKL2TR001870 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KANAYA, ALKA M., SARKAR, URMIMALA · 2016 to 2025
$19.7M
RESEARCH TRAINING IN GERIATRIC MEDICINET32AG000212 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Alexander Keliimoeanu Smith · 1991 to 2026
$7.7M
Midcareer Mentoring Award for Patient-Oriented Research in AgingK24AG041180 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI WALTER, LOUISE C. · 2011 to 2016
$909k
NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR001870NIA NIH HHS K24 AG041180NIA NIH HHS P30 AG044281NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000212
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPulmonary nodule guidelines do not indicate how to individualize follow-up according to comorbidity or life expectancy.

objectivesTo characterize comorbidity and life expectancy in older veterans with incidental, symptom-detected, or screen-detected nodules in 2008-09 compared to 2013-14. To determine the impact of these patient factors on four-year nodule follow-up among the 2008-09 subgroup.

designRetrospective cohort study.

settingUrban Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

participants243 veterans age ≥65 with newly diagnosed pulmonary nodules in 2008-09 (followed for four years through 2012 or 2013) and 446 older veterans diagnosed in 2013-14. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was receipt of any follow-up nodule imaging and/or biopsy within four years after nodule diagnosis. Primary predictor variables included age, Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index (CCI), and life expectancy. Favorable life expectancy was defined as age 65-74 with CCI 0 while limited life expectancy was defined as age ≥85 with CCI ≥1 or age ≥65 with CCI ≥4. Interaction by nodule size was also examined.

resultsFrom 2008-09 to 2013-14, the number of older veterans diagnosed with new pulmonary nodules almost doubled, including among those with severe comorbidity and limited life expectancy. Overall among the 2008-09 subgroup, receipt of nodule follow-up decreased with increasing comorbidity (CCI ≥4 versus 0: adjusted RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.39-0.95) with a trend towards decreased follow-up among those with limited life expectancy (adjusted RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-1.01). However, we detected an interaction effect with nodule size such that comorbidity and life expectancy were associated with decreased follow-up only among those with nodules ≤6 mm.

conclusionsWe found some individualization of pulmonary nodule follow-up according to comorbidity and life expectancy in older veterans with smaller nodules only. As increased imaging detects nodules in sicker patients, guidelines need to be more explicit about how to best incorporate comorbidity and life expectancy to maximize benefits and minimize harms for patients with nodules of all sizes.

Indexed as

Life ExpectancyAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsBiopsyComorbidityEarly Detection of CancerFemaleHumansIncidental FindingsLungLung NeoplasmsMalePractice Guidelines as TopicPractice Patterns, Physicians'Retrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID30044854
PMCPMC6059441
OpenAlexW2883797277

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC0
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.