Role of Smoking Status on Long-Term Survival in Patients Operated for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract: Aim: This present study aimed to evaluate both the frequency of non-smoking patients and the impact of smoking status to the long-term survival of patients operated for NSCLC in our institutional cohort. Although tobacco smoking is one of the major causes of lung cancer the correlation between smoking status and the survival of patients is uncertain. Materials and Method: Medical records of 249 patients who underwent pulmonary resection for NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into smokers and never-smokers. Annual frequency, demographic and clinical characteristics and overall survival were compared between the groups. Results: The annual frequency of never-smokers between the years 2002 and 2012 was 33.2, 24, 37.5, 25, 34.3, 35.4, 29.4, 22.7, 22.2, 35.7 and 28.5%, respectively. There were no statistically significant difference in terms of the distribution of age (p=0.993), FEV1 measurement (p=0.476), type of resection performed (p=0.564) and tumor histology (p=0.920) between the groups. The median survival time was similar in both groups (72 vs 76 months, smokers vs. never-smokers. Log-rank test; P=0.654). Conclusion: The proportion of never-smokers were approximately 30% in our cohort. In long follow-up, smoking status was not an independent risk factor for a poorer prognosis in patients operated for NSCLC.