Abstract
Several studies of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatments have been performed in the United Kingdom. In some, prognostic factor analyses were carried out but the results were not entirely consistent. The Lung Cancer Subcommittee of the United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research (UKCCCR) consequently initiated an overview of these studies with the aim of identifying the important prognostic factors using a large number of patients. Information on almost 4,000 patients was available, but it was necessary to perform analyses on smaller subsets because the variables recorded in individual studies were inconsistent. A number of variables contributed significantly to the prediction of likely survival over the 6 months after starting treatment, but performance status (PS), alkaline phosphatase (AlkP) and disease stage were shown to be the most important; aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) may also be useful. A prognostic index was devised for this initial period and validated using independent data. For patients who survived the first 6 months, the pre-treatment variables important for prognosis in the 6-24 month period were stage, PS and plasma sodium (Na). The Subcommittee recommends that performance status, disease stage, AlkP, Na, AST and LDH should be measured in all future SCLC studies to assist comparisons between studies and possibly the selection of patients for different treatment strategies. The additional recording of five other variables would allow a more definitive overview to be performed at some future date.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Additional information
Members: Professor J.F. Smyth (chairman), Dr N. Thatcher (secretary), Dr D.V. Ash, Professor N.M. Bleehan, Dr. R.L. Carter, Mr P. Goldstraw, Professor S.B. Kaye, Professor J. Peto, Dr I.E. Smith, Dr S. Spiro, Miss D. Watson, Dr J.R. Yarnold, and observers from the Cancer Research Campaign, the Department of Health, the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation, the Medical Research Council, the Scottish Home and Health Department and the Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rawson, N., Peto, J. & A report from the Subcommittee for the Management of Lung Cancer of the United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research. An overview of prognostic factors in small cell lung cancer. Br J Cancer 61, 597–604 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1990.133
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1990.133
This article is cited by
-
Prognostic value and model construction of preoperative inflammatory markers in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
World Journal of Surgical Oncology (2023)
-
The association between serum liver enzymes and cancer mortality
Clinical and Experimental Medicine (2022)
-
Preoperative aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase ratio as a prognostic biomarker in primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a propensity score-matched study
BMC Urology (2021)
-
[10]-Gingerol improves doxorubicin anticancer activity and decreases its side effects in triple negative breast cancer models
Cellular Oncology (2020)
-
Effects of low extracellular sodium on proliferation and invasive activity of cancer cells in vitro
Endocrine (2020)