Objective: To characterize the clinical and histological profile, as well as treatment patterns, of patients with early-stage, locally advanced (LA), or advanced/metastatic (AM) lung cancer, diagnosed between 2000 and 2014, in Brazil. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional epidemiological study employing data obtained for the 2000-2014 period from the hospital cancer registries of two institutions in Brazil: the José Alencar Gomes da Silva National Cancer Institute, in the city of Rio de Janeiro; and the São Paulo Cancer Center Foundation, in the city of São Paulo. Results: We reviewed the data related to 73,167 patients with lung cancer. The proportions of patients with early-stage, LA, and AM lung cancer were 13.3%, 33.2%, and 53.4%, respectively. The patients with early-stage lung cancer were older and were most likely to receive a histological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma; the proportion of patients with early-stage lung cancer remained stable throughout the study period. In those with LA lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma predominated, and the proportion of patients with LA lung cancer decreased significantly over the period analyzed. Those with AM lung cancer were younger and were most likely to have adenocarcinoma; the proportion of patients with AM lung cancer increased significantly during the study period. Small cell carcinoma accounted for 9.2% of all cases. In our patient sample, the main treatment modality was chemotherapy. Conclusions: It is noteworthy that the frequency of AM lung cancer increased significantly during the study period, whereas that of LA lung cancer decreased significantly and that of early-stage lung cancer remained stable. Cancer treatment patterns, by stage, were in accordance with international guidelines.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms/epidemiology; Lung neoplasms/therapy; Neoplasm staging; Brazil.

Objective: To analyze principal histological types of lung cancer, as well as the staging, treatment and survival of lung cancer patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study based on the analysis of medical charts of patients treated at the Botucatu School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas over a six-year period. Results: From January of 2000 to January of 2006, 240 patients with lung cancer, most (64%) of whom were male, were treated. The most common histological type was squamous cell carcinoma (37.5%), followed by adenocarcinoma (30%), neuroendocrine carcinoma (19.6%) and large cell carcinoma (6.6%). Only 131 patients (54.6%) were treated. Of those, 52 patients (39.7%) received only chemotherapy, 32 (24.4%) were treated with chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, and 47 (35.9%) were submitted to surgery alone or surgery accompanied by chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy. Only 27 patients (20.6%) were submitted to surgery alone. Concerning staging, 34.4% presented stage IV at the time of diagnosis, 20.6% presented stage IIIB, 16.8% presented stage IIIA, and the remaining 28.2% were classified as stage I or II. Five-year survival was 65% for those in stage I and 25% for those in the remaining stages. Conclusions: Of the various histological types, the most common was squamous cell carcinoma and the least common was large cell carcinoma. Most cases presented advanced stages at the moment of diagnosis, and less than 30% of the cases presented early stages. This accounts for the low survival rate and the small number of patients submitted to surgical treatment alone, the majority being submitted to chemotherapy alone.

Keywords: Carcinoma, bronchogenic; Lung neoplasms/histology; Lung neoplasms/drug therapy; Lung neoplasms/radiotherapy; Surgery; Survival.

Objective: To compare clinical and pathological staging in patients with non-small cell lung cancer submitted to surgical treatment, as well as to identify the causes of discordance. Methods: Data related to patients treated at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul São Lucas Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were calculated for clinical stages IA, IB, and IIB. The kappa index was used to determine the concordance between clinical and pathological staging. Results: Of the 92 patients studied, 33.7% were classified as clinical stage IA, 50% as IB, and 16.3% as IIB. The concordance between clinical and pathological staging was 67.5% for stage IA, 54.3% for IB, and 66.6% for IIB. The accuracy of the clinical staging was greater for stage IA, and a kappa of 0.74, in this case, confirmed a substantial association with pathological staging. The difficulty in evaluating nodal metastatic disease is responsible for the low concordance in patients with clinical stage IB. Conclusions: The concordance between clinical and pathological staging is low, and patients are frequently understaged (in the present study, only one case was overstaged). Strategies are necessary to improve clinical staging and, consequently, the treatment and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Keywords: Neoplasm staging; Lung neoplasms/diagnosis; Lung neoplasms/surgery; Prognosis.

Objective: Although EBUS-TBNA combined with EUS-FNA or EUS-B-FNA stands as the primary approach for mediastinal staging in lung cancer, guidelines recommend mediastinoscopy confirmation if a lymph node identified on chest CT or showing increased PET scan uptake yields negativity on these techniques. This study aimed to assess the staging precision of EBUS/EUS. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study comparing the clinical staging of non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing EBUS/EUS with their post-surgery pathological staging. We analyzed the influence of histology, location, tumor size, and the time lapse between EBUS and surgery. Patients with N0/N1 staging on EBUS/EUS, undergoing surgery, and with at least one station approached in both procedures were selected. Post-surgery, patients were categorized into N0/N1 and N2 groups. Results: Among the included patients (n = 47), pathological upstaging to N2 occurred in 6 (12.8%). Of these, 4 (66.7%) had a single N2 station, and 2 (33.3%) had multiple N2 stations. The adenopathy most frequently associated with upstaging was station 7. None of the analyzed variables demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of upstaging. PET scan indicated increased uptake in only one of these adenopathies, and only one was visualized on chest CT. Conclusions: Upstaging proved independent of the studied variables, and only 2 patients with negative EBUS/EUS would warrant referral for mediastinoscopy. Exploring other noninvasive methods with even greater sensitivity for detecting micrometastatic lymph node disease is crucial.

Keywords: Carcinoma, non-small cell lung; Neoplasm staging; Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

Objective: To translate the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 29-item Quality of Life Questionnaire-Lung Cancer Module (QLQ-LC29, developed for the assessment of quality of life in patients with lung cancer) to Portuguese, conducting a pilot study of the Portuguese-language version and adapting it for use in Brazil. Methods: For the translation, cultural adaptation, and pilot testing of the QLQ-LC29, we followed the guidelines established by the EORTC. The translation (English → Portuguese) and back-translation (Portuguese → English) were both carried out by translators, working independently, who were native speakers of one language and fluent in the other. After review, a draft version was created for pilot testing in lung cancer patients in Brazil. Results: A total of 15 patients diagnosed with lung cancer completed the Portuguese-language version of the questionnaire. At the end of the process, we conducted a structured interview to identify any patient difficulty in understanding any of the questions. The final versions were sent to the EORTC and were approved. Conclusions: The Portuguese-language version of the EORTC QLQ-LC29 appears to be a useful, important, reliable questionnaire that is a valid tool for assessing quality of life in patients with lung cancer in Brazil.

Keywords: Surveys and Questionnaires; Lung neoplasms; Quality of Life; Brazil; Translations.

Carcinoma of the lung can present in a number of guises and a number of possible and often complementary diagnostic approaches are available. The choice of procedure should reflect the presentation of the tumor, local expertise, intended management and patient preference. There are different methods of investigation: sputum cytology, fiberbronchoscopy, transbronchial biopsy, transbronchial needle aspiration, transthoracic fine needle aspiration, etc. The association of all of these methods increases the power of diagnosis. Staging is the measurement of the anatomical extent of a tumor in any given patient. The staging of cancer began with Denoix's TNM classification system, and, although several modifications were developed, it remains the basis of lung cancer staging systems up to now. Assigning patients to a particular TNM stage allows choosing the most appropriate therapy and provides prognostic information. Also, the impact of new therapeutic methods can be evaluated for efficacy and a comparison of the expected survival rates can be predicted.

Objective: To evaluate confirmed cases of lung cancer, reviewing epidemiological variables, clinical variables, staging and treatment. Methods: The cases of 263 patients were studied. All of the patients had been treated at the Universidade Federal do Paraná (Federal University of Paraná) Hospital de Clínicas or at the Hospital Erasto Gaertner, two institutions that, together, serve a significant portion of the patients seeking treatment in the city of Curitiba, located in the state of Paraná. This was a retrospective study, involving the administration of questionnaires. The descriptive analysis of the data obtained was performed using the Epi-Info program. Results: There was a predominance of male patients (76%). At the time of diagnosis, the majority of patients (90%) were smokers or former smokers. In 87% of the cases, there was no history of lung disease. The most common initial symptoms were cough (142 cases) and chest pain (92 cases). Non-small cell lung cancer was found in 87% of the patients, and the most common histological type was spinocellular carcinoma, which was found in 49% of all of the patients. Smoking was found to be the most significant predisposing factor. Conclusion: The characteristics of lung cancer progression, such as the nonspecificity of the initial symptoms, the duration of tumor growth and the course of the tumor, together with the lack of tracking programs, are the principal factors that hinder the early detection of lung cancer, making it difficult to treat lung cancer patients and to increase their survival.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms/diagnosis; Lung neoplasms/epidemiology; Lung neoplasms/surgery; Early diagnosis; Neoplasms staging

Objectives: To describe the temporal trend in and spatial distribution of mortality from tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer in Brazil from 1979 to 2004. Methods: Mortality data by gender and geographic region were obtained from the Mortality Database created by the Ministry of Health in 1975. Demographic data were collected from the national censuses, from population counts, and from population estimates made in non-census years. Mortality rates were standardized according to the direct method, and the trends were analyzed by gender and geographic region using the Prais-Winsten method for generalized linear regression. Results: Lung cancer mortality accounted for approximately 12% of the overall neoplasia-related mortality during the period. There was a trend toward an increase for both genders and in all regions, except for the male population in the southeast region, whose rates remained steady between 1979 and 2004. The highest rates were observed in the south and southeast regions. However, the northeast region was the one that presented the greatest increase, followed by the central-west and north regions. In all regions, the increase in mortality rates was higher in women. Conclusions: The increase in lung cancer mortality in Brazil between 1979 and 2004 requires public measures that can minimize exposition to risk factors, mainly tobacco, and allow greater access to health care facilities for diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Epidemiology; Brazil.

Background: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) with a flexible bronchoscope has been used for many years in the United States of America to diagnose bronchogenic carcinoma. However little information on the subject is available in Brazil. Objective: Assess the effectiveness of transbronchial needle aspiration for diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Method: A retrospective review was made of 74 TBNA performed at the National Cancer Institute, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. a thoracic computerized tomography had oreviouslbeen made of all patients. Eleven (15%) patients exhibited mediastinal masses and 63 (85%) hilar masses. Seventy six endoscopic alterations were detected: enlargement of the main carina in 44 (59%) patients; enlargement of the secondary carina in 12 (16%); paratracheal compression in 5 (7%); posterior tracheal wall compression in 3 (4%); main bronchus compression in 5 (7%) AND BRONCHOSCOPY was normal in 5 (7%) patients. Results: Specimens were satisfactory for diagnosis in 42 (57%) patients and in 34 (46%) diagnosis was confirmed. Malignancy was confirmed in 30 of 34 patients (88%): as follows: small cell undifferentiated carcinoma in 10 of 30 (33%); squamous cell lung cancer in 7 of 30 (23%); adenocarcinoma 7 of 30 (23%); and non-small cell lung cancer in 6 of 30 (20%). Four of 30 (12%) were diagnosed as bearers of benign disease: tuberculosis 2 of 4 (50%) and sarcoidosis 2 of 4 (50%). No complications related to the method were perceived. Conclusion: This preliminary experience with TBNA in 74 patients indicated that this method is safe, easy to perform with a minimum of complications and useful for the diagnosis and staging of pulmonary neoplasms.

Keywords: Bronchoscopy/methods. Carcinoma, bronchogenic/diagnosis. Aspiration/methods.

Surgical resection is the primary treatment option for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, lobectomy being considered the standard of care. In elderly patients, physiological characteristics can limit the suitability for surgery and the extent of resection. Sublobar resection (SLR) can be offered as an alternative. The aim of this real-world analysis was to compare lobectomy and SLR in terms of recurrence and survival rates in patients over 70 years of age.

Keywords: Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung/mortality; Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung/surgery; Recurrence; Aged; Aged, 80 and over.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of patients with lung cancer. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of patients receiving a histopathological diagnosis of lung cancer between 1995 and 2002 in the city of Manaus, Brazil. Data were collected from the medical archives of three hospitals. Statistical analyses were carried out, and survival curves were generated by means of an actuarial estimator. Results: Of the 352 patients selected, 262 (74.4%) were male and 90 (25.6%) were female. The mean age was 62 years. The following histological types were identified: squamous cell carcinoma, 62.8%; adenocarcinoma, 24.7%; small cell carcinoma, 9.1%; and large cell carcinoma, 3.4%. The most common stages were stages IIIB and IV, in 45% and 21.5%, respectively. Of the total sample, 73.4% were submitted to treatment. Of these, 51.4% underwent radiotherapy; 16.6%, surgery; 15.8%, chemotherapy; and 16.2%, radiotherapy in association with chemotherapy. Cumulative survival rates were low: three-year survival was 6.5%, and five-year survival was 3.5%. Conclusions: In this group of patients with lung cancer, survival rates were considerably lower than those reported in the literature. This might be attributable to the limited access to the specialized health care system and the advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Neoplasm staging; Survival.

The presence of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in lung cancer has a great influence on treatment selection and prognosis, and the diagnosis of lymphatic metastasis must be accurate. CT chest scans and mediastinoscopy are the diagnostic tools available to detect mediastinal lymph node metastases and to establish preoperative staging. Lymph node size evaluated by CT scans is not an acceptable criterion in the patients studied here. The aim of this study was to find out a representative pattern of size to indicate the possibility of neoplastic invasion in the population studied. Fifty consecutive patients were operated on and were submitted to pulmonary resection and mediastinal dissection to treat lung cancer. Seventy-four percent of the lymph nodes with transverse section of more than 3 cm had no neoplastic invasion. CT scans and mediastinoscopy have similar sensitivity (close to 65%), but mediastinoscopy has higher specificity (100%). This means that the authors must have histologic confirmation of any suspected lymph node to achieve a correct staging.

Keywords: Carcinoma, non-small cell. Lung neoplasias. Lymph nodes. Lymphatic metastasis. Mediatinoscopy. Neoplasm, staging. CT scanning.

Objective: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive, safe and accurate method for collecting samples from mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. This study focused on the initial results obtained with EBUS-TBNA for lung cancer and lymph node staging at three teaching hospitals in Brazil. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with lung cancer and submitted to EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymph node staging. The EBUS-TBNA procedures, which involved the use of an EBUS scope, an ultrasound processor, and a compatible, disposable 22 G needle, were performed while the patients were under general anesthesia. Results: Between January of 2011 and January of 2014, 149 patients underwent EBUS-TBNA for lymph node staging. The mean age was 66 ± 12 years, and 58% were male. A total of 407 lymph nodes were sampled by EBUS-TBNA. The most common types of lung neoplasm were adenocarcinoma (in 67%) and squamous cell carcinoma (in 24%). For lung cancer staging, EBUS-TBNA was found to have a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 85%. Conclusions: We found EBUS-TBNA to be a safe and accurate method for lymph node staging in lung cancer patients.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Neoplasm staging; Bronchoscopy; Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration; Lymph nodes.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Objective: To determine the time spent diagnosing, staging and surgically treating lung cancer in a university hospital. Method: Between January 1990 and December 1998, 69 (53 male, 16 female) patients were diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery. The hospital records of these patients were reviewed to evaluate clinical and histological data, dates of outpatient visits, hospital admission, tests and procedures, as well as to determine if the patients were examined as inpatients or as outpatients. Results: The 15 patients investigated as outpatients were designated as group I, the 28 examined as both inpatients and outpatients as group II, and the 26 investigated as inpatients as group III. Age ranged from 43 to 79 years (mean ± SD; 61 ± 10). Of the 69 patients, 43 were smokers and 23 were ex-smokers. The mean time from onset of symptoms to the first outpatient visit was 110 days and 33 days from the first outpatient visit until diagnosis. There was a lapse of 25 days between diagnosis and surgery. The mean total elapsed time between the first outpatient visit and surgery was 58 days. The mean total time was 72 days for group I, 72 days for group II, and 35 days for group III (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference regarding total time in relation to the different stages of the disease (p = 0.16). Conclusions: The results show that patients waited too long before seeking medical assistance and that medical treatment of lung cancer was further delayed when patients were examined in an outpatient setting.

Keywords: Lung neoplasm/surgery. Disease progression.

Objective: To describe the mortality trends for lung cancer, cancer of the trachea, and bronchial cancer in relation to gender and age brackets in Brazil. Methods: Data related to mortality between 1980 and 2003 were collected from the Brazilian Mortality Database. A trend analysis of mortality was carried out, nationwide and in selected states, using the LOWESS technique for rate smoothing and model adjustments. Results: In Brazil, the standardized mortality rate for lung cancer, cancer of the trachea, and bronchial cancer increased from 7.21/100,000 inhabitants in 1980 to 9.36/100,000 inhabitants in 2003. Specific mortality rates decreased in males in the 30-49 and 50-59 age brackets. In the 60-69 age bracket, the rates for males increased from 1980 to 1995 and declined thereafter. There was a trend toward higher mortality rates in males over 70, as well as in females over 30, throughout the period evaluated. Conclusions: The decrease in the mortality rates in younger males might have resulted from recent national interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of smoking and reducing exposure in younger cohorts. High mortality rates in older populations remained constant due to prior tobacco use. Increased mortality rates in females are a worldwide trend and are attributable to the recent increase in smoking prevalence in females.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms/epidemiology; Mortality/trends; Brazil.

Objective: Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) improves survival of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the cisplatin-vinorelbine regimen has been associated with a significant risk of clinically relevant toxicity. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of AC for NSCLC patients in a real-world setting. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of patients with stage I-III NSCLC undergoing surgery with curative intent between 2009 and 2018. AC was administered at the discretion of physicians. The patients were divided into two groups: AC group and no AC (control) group. Study outcomes included overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), as well as the safety profile and feasibility of the cisplatin-vinorelbine regimen in a real-world setting. Results: The study involved 231 patients, 80 of whom received AC. Of those, 55 patients received the cisplatin-vinorelbine regimen. Survival analyses stratified by tumor stage showed that patients with stage II NSCLC in the AC group had better RFS (p = 0.036) and OS (p = 0.017) than did those in the no AC group. Among patients with stage III NSCLC in the AC group, RFS was better (p < 0.001) and there was a trend toward improved OS (p = 0.060) in comparison with controls. Of those who received the cisplatin-vinorelbine regimen, 29% had grade 3-4 febrile neutropenia, and 9% died of toxicity. Conclusions: These results support the benefit of AC for NSCLC patients in a real-world setting. However, because the cisplatin-vinorelbine regimen was associated with alarming rates of toxicity, more effective and less toxic alternatives should be investigated.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Chemotherapy, adjuvant; Cisplatin/toxicity; Vinorelbine/toxicity.

Objective: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive diagnostic test with a high diagnostic yield for suspicious central pulmonary lesions and for mediastinal lymph node staging. The main objective of this study was to describe the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymph node staging in patients with suspected lung cancer. Methods: Prospective study of patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA for diagnosis. Patients ≥ 18 years of age were recruited between July of 2010 and August of 2013. We recorded demographic variables, radiological characteristics provided by axial CT of the chest, location of the lesion in the mediastinum as per the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer classification, and definitive diagnostic result (EBUS with a diagnostic biopsy or a definitive diagnostic method). Results: Our analysis included 354 biopsies, from 145 patients. Of those 145 patients, 54.48% were male. The mean age was 63.75 years. The mean lymph node size was 15.03 mm, and 90 lymph nodes were smaller than 10.0 mm. The EBUS-TBNA method showed a sensitivity of 91.17%, a specificity of 100.0%, and a negative predictive value of 92.9%. The most common histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: EBUS-TBNA is a diagnostic tool that yields satisfactory results in the staging of neoplastic mediastinal lesions.

Keywords: Lung neoplasms; Bronchoscopy; Endosonography; Neoplasm staging.

Objective: Lung cancer patients often experience profound physical and psychosocial changes as a result of disease progression or treatment side effects. Fatigue, pain, dyspnea, depression, and sleep disturbances appear to be the most common symptoms in such patients. The objective of the present study was to examine the prevalence of symptoms in lung cancer patients in order to identify subgroups (clusters) of patients, grouped according to the magnitude of the symptoms, as well as to compare the quality of life among the identified subgroups. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving agglomerative hierarchical clustering. A total of 50 lung cancer patients were evaluated in terms of their demographic characteristics and their scores on three quality of life questionnaires, namely the 30-item European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung, and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-form Survey. The cluster analysis took into account the magnitude of the most prevalent symptoms as assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores; those symptoms were fatigue, pain, dyspnea, and insomnia. Results: Three clusters (subgroups)_of patients were identified on the basis of the magnitude of the four most prevalent symptoms. The three subgroups of patients were as follows: patients with mild symptoms (n = 30; 60%); patients with moderate symptoms (n = 14; 28%); and patients with severe symptoms (n = 6; 12%). The subgroup of patients with severe symptoms had the worst quality of life, as assessed by the total scores and by the integrated domains of all three instruments. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of symptom cluster assessment as an important tool to assess the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases, such as lung cancer.