Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30618120›Full record

Trial reportThoracic cancer2019

Survival in early lung cancer patients treated with high dose radiotherapy is independent of pathological confirmation.

Franz Zehentmayr, Martin Sprenger, Lukas Rettenbacher, Romana Wass, Peter Porsch, Gerd Fastner, Christian Pirich, Michael Studnicka, Felix Sedlmayer

Abstract readClinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Thoracic cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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.

Franz ZehentmayrDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-5931-3907
Martin SprengerPostgraduate Public Health Program, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Lukas RettenbacherDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.
Romana WassDepartment of Pneumology, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.
Peter PorschDepartment of Pneumology, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.
Gerd FastnerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.
Christian PirichDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.
Michael StudnickaDepartment of Pneumology, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.
Felix SedlmayerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Paracelsus Medical University, SALK, Salzburg, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundApproximately 15% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed in early stages. Microscopic proof of disease cannot always be obtained because of comorbidity or reluctance to undergo invasive diagnostic procedures. In the current study, survival data of patients with and without pathology are compared.

methodsOne hundred and sixty three patients with NSCLC I-IIb (T3 N0) treated between 2002 and 2016 were eligible: 123 (75%) had pathological confirmation of disease, whereas 40 (25%) did not. In accordance with international guidelines, both groups received radiotherapy. Comorbidity was assessed with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

resultsThe median follow-up was 28.6 months (range: 0.3-162): 66 (40%) patients are still alive, while 97 (59%) patients died: 48 (29%) cancer-related deaths and 49 (30%) from causes other than cancer. Median overall survival (OS) in patients without pathological confirmation was 58.6 months (range: 0.5-162), which did not differ from those with microscopic proof of disease (39.4 months, range: 0.3-147.5; logrank P = 0.481). Median cancer-specific survival (CSS) also did not differ at 113.4 months (range: 0.5-162) in the non-confirmation group (logrank P = 0.763) versus 51.5 months (range: 3.7-129.5) in patients with pathology. In Cox regression, a CCI of ≥ 3 was associated with poor OS (hazard ratio 2.0; range 1.2-3.4; P = 0.010) and CSS (hazard ratio 2.0; 1.0-4.0; P = 0.043).

conclusionOS and CSS in early lung cancer patients depend on comorbidity rather than on pathological confirmation of disease.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLung NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRadiotherapySurvival RateCharlson comorbidity indexearly stage NSCLCoverdiagnosisovertreatmentSBRT

Identifiers

PMID30618120
PMCPMC6360228

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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.