What is the effect of tumor diameter, lymph node metastases, and SUVmax value on prognosis in limited-stage small cell lung cancer?

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the link between survival and prognostic factors such as tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and metabolic activity detected on positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with limited-stage small cell lung carcinoma. METHODS: Patients who were admitted to our hospital with pathological diagnosis of limited-stage small cell lung cancer between January 2015 and December 2019 and were older than 18 years were retrospectively screened. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients, including 10 females and 67 males, were included in the study. While there were 39 patients over 60 years of age, 38 patients were under 60. The ratios of male patients, N stage, multiple lymph nodes, distant metastasis, brain metastasis, and prophylactic cranial irradiation in the deceased patients’ group were significantly (p=0.008, p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.013, p=0.000, respectively) higher than those in the living patients’ group. In the univariate model, we observed that gender, smoking, T stage, N stage, multiple lymph nodes, distant metastasis, brain metastasis, liver metastasis, sequential chemotherapy, sequential radiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and prophylactic cranial irradiation had significant effect (p=0.049, p=0.021, p=0.022, p=0.000, p=0.000, p=0.000 p=0.003, p=0.037, p=0.029, p=0.049, p=0.000, respectively) on survival time. In the multivariate model, smoking, N stage, liver metastasis, and prophylactic cranial irradiation demonstrated significant independent effect (p=0.010, p=0.003, p=0.004, p=0.000, respectively) on survival time. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide useful information for better patient management, especially in terms of negative factors on the continuation of survival during and after the treatment of limited-stage small cell lung carcinoma patients.