Impact and prognosis of lung cancer in patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic marker for lung cancer in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema patients

BACKGROUND

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) represents a distinct clinical syndrome characterized by the coexistence of upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe fibrosis, with an increased risk of lung cancer (LC) development. This study aimed to detect the clinical features and prognosis of CPFE patients with LC and the ability of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict outcomes in those individuals.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with CPFE combined with LC between January 2017 and December 2023 was conducted. Clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters and survival data were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 80 CPFE patients with LC were included, with a mean age of 68.1 years, and a male predominance (93.8%). The LCs were predominantly adenocarcinomas (38.8%), with a significant proportion diagnosed at advanced stages (22.5% at stage III, 47.5% at stage IV) and preferential peripheral pulmonary localization (72.5%). CPFE patients with LC had estimated 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates of 52%, 40%, and 37%, respectively, with a median overall survival of 29.2 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that increased NLR [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.180, 95% confidence interval CI 1.029-1.352, p = 0.018] and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (adjusted HR 1.005, 95% CI 1.000-1.010, p = 0.036) were related to an enhanced risk of all-cause mortality. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis identified an NLR cutoff value of 2.6 as a predictor of all-cause death within 24 months [area under the curve = 0.651; specificity = 62.1%; sensitivity = 66.6%; p < 0.05]. Patients with an NLR greater than 2.6 had a significantly greater risk of all-cause death than those with an NLR of 2.6 or less (adjusted HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.197-4.754; p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

The NLR may serve as a cost-effective and widely accessible biomarker for risk stratification, particularly in CPFE patients with advanced-stage LC. In our cohort, an NLR cutoff value of 2.6 provides improved prognostic accuracy in predicting mortality outcomes.

Meta-analysis: clinical features and treatments of lung cancer in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema

BACKGROUND AND AIM

There are many epidemiological pieces of evidence that show combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) patients have an increased risk of lung cancer. We conducted a systematic review of all published data to define the characteristics and treatments of lung cancer that develops in CPFE by performing a meta-analysis.

METHODS

Databases(including PubMed, Medline, CNKI, VIP, etc.) were searched to find original articles that related to lung cancer in CPFE(CPFE-LC) patients and a meta-analysis was used to analyze the included 15 articles. Stata17.0 software was performed for this meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Fifteen original studies that assessed 5933 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In the pooled data, people with CPFE-LC were elderly(70.58 years) and heavy smokers( 0.959, 45.793 pack-years), with a male predominance(0.959). Most lung cancer in CPFE was located in the lower lobe(0.533) and obvious areas of pulmonary fibrosis(0.516). Highest prevalence of cellular subtypes of lung cancer in CPFE was squamous carcinoma(SQCC, 0.437) and chemotherapy was the main treatment(0.387). The mortality rate was 0.720(95%CI: 0.657-0.783) and the 5-year survival rate was 0.250(95%CI: 0.133-0.368). The main cause of death was infection(0.268) and respiratory failure was the main cause of death after surgery(0.392).

CONCLUSIONS

Lung cancer in CPFE, most commonly SQCC, presents in elderly heavy smokers with a male, located in the lower lobe of the lung and the areas of fibrosis predominance. Chemotherapy is the main treatment and the optimal treatment remains to be explored.