Clinical features, anti-cancer treatments and outcomes of lung cancer patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema

Abstract

Background: Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) patients may be at significantly increased risk of lung cancer compared with either isolated emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis patients. Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial lung disease caused by anticancer treatment is the most common lethal complication in Japanese lung cancer patients. Nevertheless, the clinical significance of CPFE compared with isolated idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) in patients with lung cancer is not well understood.

Methods: A total of 1536 patients with lung cancer at Nippon Medical School Hospital between March 1998 and October 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with IIPs were categorized into two groups: (i) CPFE; IIP patients with definite emphysema and (ii) non-CPFE; isolated IIP patients without definite emphysema. The clinical features, anti-cancer treatments and outcomes of the CPFE group were compared with those of the non-CPFE group.

Results: CPFE and isolated IIPs were identified in 88 (5.7%) and 63 (4.1%) patients respectively, with lung cancer. AE associated with initial treatment occurred in 22 (25.0%) patients in the CPFE group and in 8 (12.7%) patients in the non-CPFE group, irrespective of treatment modality. Median overall survival (OS) of the CPFE group was 23.7 months and that of the non-CPFE group was 20.3 months (P=0.627). Chemotherapy was performed in a total of 83 patients. AE associated with chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer occurred in 6 (13.6%) patients in the CPFE group and 5 (12.8%) patients in the non-CPFE group. Median OS of the CPFE group was 14.9 months and that of the non-CPFE group was 21.6 months (P=0.679).

Conclusion: CPFE was not an independent risk factor for AE and was not an independent prognosis factor in lung cancer patients with IIPs. Therefore, great care must be exercised with CPFE as well as IIP patients when performing anticancer treatment for patients with lung cancer.

Keywords: Acute exacerbation; Chemotherapy; Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema; Emphysema; Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias; Interstitial lung disease; Lung cancer.