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Comparison of demographic characteristics, surgical resection patterns, and survival outcomes for veterans and nonveterans with non-small cell lung cancer in the Pacific Northwest.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zeliadt, SB; Sekaran, NK; Hu, EY; Slatore, CC; Au, DH; Backhus, L; Wu, DY; Crawford, J; Lyman, GH; Dale, DC
Published in: J Thorac Oncol
October 2011

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States and among veterans. This study compares patterns of diagnosis, treatment, and survival for veterans diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a recently established cancer registry for the Veterans Affairs Pacific Northwest Network with the Puget Sound Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry. METHODS: A cohort of 1715 veterans with NSCLC were diagnosed between 2000 and 2006, and 7864 men were diagnosed in Washington State during the same period. Demographics, tumor characteristics, initial surgical patterns, and survival across the two registries were evaluated. RESULTS: Veterans were more likely to be diagnosed with stage I or II disease (32.8%) compared with the surrounding community (21.5%, p = 0.001). Surgical resection rates were similar for veterans (70.2%) and nonveterans (71.2%) older than 65 years with early-stage disease (p = 0.298). However, veterans younger than 65 years with early-stage disease were less likely to undergo surgical resection (83.3% versus 91.5%, p = 0.003). Because there were fewer late-stage patients among veterans, overall survival was better, although within each stage group veterans experienced worse survival compared with community patients. The largest differences were among early-stage patients with 44.6% 5-year survival for veterans compared with 57.4% for nonveterans (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The use of surgical resection among younger veterans with NSCLC may be lower compared with the surrounding community and may be contributing to poorer survival. Cancer quality of care studies have primarily focused on patients older than 65 years using Medicare claims; however, efforts to examine care for younger patients within and outside the Department of Veterans Affairs are needed.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Thorac Oncol

DOI

EISSN

1556-1380

Publication Date

October 2011

Volume

6

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1726 / 1732

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Survival Rate
  • SEER Program
  • Registries
  • Prognosis
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Northwestern United States
  • Neoplasm Staging
 

Citation

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Zeliadt, S. B., Sekaran, N. K., Hu, E. Y., Slatore, C. C., Au, D. H., Backhus, L., … Dale, D. C. (2011). Comparison of demographic characteristics, surgical resection patterns, and survival outcomes for veterans and nonveterans with non-small cell lung cancer in the Pacific Northwest. J Thorac Oncol, 6(10), 1726–1732. https://doi.org/10.1097/JTO.0b013e31822ada77
Zeliadt, Steven B., Nishant K. Sekaran, Elaine Y. Hu, Christopher C. Slatore, David H. Au, Leah Backhus, Daniel Y. Wu, Jeffrey Crawford, Gary H. Lyman, and David C. Dale. “Comparison of demographic characteristics, surgical resection patterns, and survival outcomes for veterans and nonveterans with non-small cell lung cancer in the Pacific Northwest.J Thorac Oncol 6, no. 10 (October 2011): 1726–32. https://doi.org/10.1097/JTO.0b013e31822ada77.
Zeliadt, Steven B., et al. “Comparison of demographic characteristics, surgical resection patterns, and survival outcomes for veterans and nonveterans with non-small cell lung cancer in the Pacific Northwest.J Thorac Oncol, vol. 6, no. 10, Oct. 2011, pp. 1726–32. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/JTO.0b013e31822ada77.
Zeliadt SB, Sekaran NK, Hu EY, Slatore CC, Au DH, Backhus L, Wu DY, Crawford J, Lyman GH, Dale DC. Comparison of demographic characteristics, surgical resection patterns, and survival outcomes for veterans and nonveterans with non-small cell lung cancer in the Pacific Northwest. J Thorac Oncol. 2011 Oct;6(10):1726–1732.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Thorac Oncol

DOI

EISSN

1556-1380

Publication Date

October 2011

Volume

6

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1726 / 1732

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Survival Rate
  • SEER Program
  • Registries
  • Prognosis
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Northwestern United States
  • Neoplasm Staging