Trauma Exposure and Suicidal Ideation among Korean Male Firefighters: Examining the Moderating Roles of Organizational Climate

Background@#This study investigated the relationship between trauma exposure and suicidal ideation. Moreover, this study examines the moderating roles of organizational climate on the association between trauma exposure and suicidal ideation in Korean male firefighters. @*Methods@#A total of 15,104 male firefighters who completed a questionnaire were analyzed. The data were obtained using an online self-administered questionnaire from the Firefighter Research on Enhancement of Safety and Health Study. Poisson regression analysis was performed to determine the effects of trauma exposure on suicidal ideation and the moderating effect of organizational climate. @*Results@#The results showed that 389 firefighters (2.6%) responded that they had experienced suicidal ideation. In the final model, trauma exposure was positively related to suicidal ideation (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.076; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.051–1.103), and organizational climate was negatively associated with suicidal ideation (aRR, 0.772; 95% CI: 0.739–0.806). Additionally, the interaction term (trauma exposure × organizational climate) was related to suicidal ideation (aRR, 1.016; 95% CI: 1.009–1.023). @*Conclusions@#This study suggests that trauma exposure might play a significant role in developing suicidal ideation and that positive organizational climate moderates the negative effects of trauma exposure on suicidal ideation among firefighters. It is necessary to perform a follow-up study of various intervention strategies to maintain a healthy organizational climate or work environment. Such interventions should promote lasting trust within teams, provide social support and belonging, and nurture job value.

Regional Gray Matter Volume Related to High Occupational Stress in Firefighters

Background@#Firefighters inevitably encounter emotionally and physically stressful situations at work. Even firefighters without diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder receive clinical attention because the nature of the profession exposes them to repetitive trauma and high occupational stress. This study investigated gray matter abnormalities related to high occupational stress in firefighters using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM). @*Methods@#We assessed 115 subjects (112 males and 3 females) using magnetic resonance imaging and evaluated occupational stress by the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-26 (KOSS-26). Subjects were classified into highly or lowly stressed groups based on the median value of the KOSS-26. @*Results@#In VBM analysis, we found that firefighters with high occupational stress had lower gray matter volume (GMV) in both sides of the insula, the left amygdala, the right medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the anterior cingulate cortex than firefighters with low occupational stress. In SBM analysis based on regions of interest, the GMV of the bilateral insula and right mPFC were also lower in the highly stressed group. Within the highly stressed group, low GMV of the insula was significantly correlated with the length of service (left: r = −0.347, P = 0.009; right: r = −0.333, P = 0.012). @*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest that regional GMV abnormalities are related to occupational stress. Regional gray matter abnormalities and related emotional dysregulation may contribute to firefighter susceptibility to burnout.

Does Emotional Labor Increase the Risk of Suicidal Ideation among Firefighters?

Mediating Effects of Burnout in the Association Between Emotional Labor and Turnover Intention in Korean Clinical Nurses

Background@#The current lack of the number of nurses and high nurse turnover rate leads to major problems for the health-care system in terms of cost, patient care ability, and quality of care. Theoretically, burnout may help link emotional labor with turnover intention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of burnout in the association between emotional labor and turnover intention in Korean clinical nurses. @*Methods@#Using data collected from a sample of 606 nurses from six Korean hospitals, we conducted a multiple regression analysis to determine the relationships among clinical nurses' emotional labor, burnout, and turnover intention, looking at burnout as a mediator. @*Results@#The results fully and partially support the mediating role of burnout in the relationship between the subfactors of emotional labor and turnover intention. In particular, burnout partially mediated the relationship between emotional disharmony and hurt, organizational surveillance and monitoring, and lack of a supportive and protective system in the organization. In addition, we found that burnout has a significant full mediation effect on the relationship between overload and conflicts in customer service and turnover intention. Although the mediating effect of burnout was significantly associated with the demands and regulation of emotions, no significant effects on turnover intention were found. @*Conclusion@#To reduce nurses' turnover, we recommend developing strategies that target both burnout and emotional labor, given that burnout fully and partially mediated the effects of emotional labor on turnover intention, and emotional labor was directly associated with turnover intention.

Organizational Climate Effects on the Relationship Between Emotional Labor and Turnover Intention in Korean Firefighters

Background@#The purpose of this study is to examine the combined effects of organizational climate (OC) with emotional labor (EL) on turnover intention in Korean firefighters. @*Methods@#The data were obtained from the study Firefighters Research: Enhancement of Safety and Health. A total of 4,860 firefighters whose main duty was providing “emergency medical aid” were included. To examine the effects of OC on the relationships between five subscales of EL and turnover intention, four groups were created using various combinations of OC (“good” vs. “bad”) and EL (“normal” vs. “risk”): (1) “good” and “normal” (Group I), (2) “bad” and “normal” (Group II), (3) “good” and “risk” (Group III), and (4) “bad” and “risk” (Group IV). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the risk of turnover intention for the combinations of OC and EL. @*Results@#The results showed turnover intention was significantly higher in the group with “bad” OC (17.7%) than in that with “good” OC (7.6%). Combined effects of OC and EL on turnover intention were found in all five subscales with the exception of Group I for emotional demands and regulation. Groups II, III, and IV were more likely to experience risks of turnover intention than Group I (p for trend <0.001). @*Conclusions@#A positive and cooperative OC plays a role in decreasing the risk of turnover intention and in attenuating the negative effects of EL on turnover intention in firefighters.

Organizational Climate Effects on the Relationship Between Emotional Labor and Turnover Intention in Korean Firefighters

Background@#The purpose of this study is to examine the combined effects of organizational climate (OC) with emotional labor (EL) on turnover intention in Korean firefighters. @*Methods@#The data were obtained from the study Firefighters Research: Enhancement of Safety and Health. A total of 4,860 firefighters whose main duty was providing “emergency medical aid” were included. To examine the effects of OC on the relationships between five subscales of EL and turnover intention, four groups were created using various combinations of OC (“good” vs. “bad”) and EL (“normal” vs. “risk”): (1) “good” and “normal” (Group I), (2) “bad” and “normal” (Group II), (3) “good” and “risk” (Group III), and (4) “bad” and “risk” (Group IV). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the risk of turnover intention for the combinations of OC and EL. @*Results@#The results showed turnover intention was significantly higher in the group with “bad” OC (17.7%) than in that with “good” OC (7.6%). Combined effects of OC and EL on turnover intention were found in all five subscales with the exception of Group I for emotional demands and regulation. Groups II, III, and IV were more likely to experience risks of turnover intention than Group I (p for trend <0.001). @*Conclusions@#A positive and cooperative OC plays a role in decreasing the risk of turnover intention and in attenuating the negative effects of EL on turnover intention in firefighters.

Effect of Burnout on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Firefighters in Korea: Data From the Firefighter Research on Enhancement of Safety & Health (FRESH) / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES@#It is well-known that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among firefighters contributes to their job-related stress. However, the relationship between burnout and PTSD in firefighters has rarely been studied. This study therefore explored the association between burnout and its related factors, such as trauma and violence, and PTSD symptoms among firefighters in Korea.@*METHODS@#A total of 535 firefighters participated in the Firefighter Research on Enhancement of Safety & Health study at 3 university hospitals from 2016 to 2017. The 535 participants received a baseline health examination, including questionnaires assessing their mental health. A Web-based survey was also conducted to collect data on job-related stress, history of exposure to violence, burnout, and trauma experience. The associations among burnout, its related factors, and PTSD symptoms were investigated using structural equation modeling.@*RESULTS@#Job demands (β=0.411, p<0.001) and effort-reward balance (β=-0.290, p<0.001) were significantly related to burnout. Burnout (β=0.237, p<0.001) and violence (β=0.123, p=0.014) were significantly related to PTSD risk. Trauma (β=0.131, p=0.001) was significantly related to burnout; however, trauma was not directly associated with PTSD scores (β=0.085, p=0.081).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our results show that burnout and psychological, sexual, and physical violence at the hands of clients directly affected participants’ PTSD symptoms. Burnout mediated the relationship between trauma experience and PTSD.

Association of Emotional Labor, Self-efficacy, and Type A Personality with Burnout in Korean Dental Hygienists

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional labor and burnout, and whether the levels of self-efficacy and type A personality characteristics increase the risk of burnout in a sample of Korean female dental hygienists. Participants were 807 female dental hygienists with experience in performing customer service for one year or more in dental clinics, dental hospitals, or general hospitals in Korea. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of emotional labor on burnout, and to elucidate the additive effects of self-efficacy and type A personality on burnout. The results showed that “overload and conflict in customer service,”“emotional disharmony and hurt,” and “lack of a supportive and protective system in the organization” were positively associated with burnout. With reference to the relationship between personality traits and burnout, we found that personal traits such as self-efficacy and type A personality were significantly related to burnout, which confirmed the additive effects of self-efficacy and type A personality on burnout. These results indicate that engaging in excessive and prolonged emotional work in customer service roles is more likely to increase burnout. Additionally, an insufficient organizational supportive and protective system toward the negative consequences of emotional labor was found to accelerate burnout. The present findings also revealed that personality traits such as self-efficacy and type A personality are also important in understanding the relationship between emotional labor and burnout.

Association between Emotional Labor, Emotional Dissonance, Burnout and Turnover Intention in Clinical Nurses: A Multiple-Group Path Analysis across Job Satisfaction

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the influence of emotional labor, emotional dissonance, and burnout on nurse's turnover intention and examine the effect of job satisfaction on the relationships among emotional labor, emotional dissonance, burnout, and turnover intention. METHODS: The sample consisted of 350 nurses recruited from 6 general hospitals in 2 cities in Korea. A multiple-group analysis was utilized. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistics 23 and AMOS 20. RESULTS: In the path analysis, turnover intention was directly related to burnout in clinical nurses who had a high job satisfaction (β=.24, p=.003), while it was indirectly related to emotional dissonance (β=.13, p=.002). In the multiple-group path analysis, turnover intention was directly related to emotional dissonance (β=.18, p=.033) and burnout (β=.26, p=.002) for nurses with low job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that manuals and guidelines to alleviate the negative effects of emotional labor, emotional dissonance, and burnout, and to increase job satisfaction are strongly required to reduce turnover intention in nurses at the organizational level as well as at the individual level.

Evaluation of CD3+CD4-CD8- (Double-negative) T Cells in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid: an Effective Tool for Pulmonary Disease Diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Cellular analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is a useful diagnostic tool for interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The lymphocytes in BALF consist of CD3+CD4+ T cells (T4), CD3+CD8+ T cells (T8), and a few B cells. However, sometimes, an increased number of CD3+CD4-CD8- T cells (double-negative T cells, DNTs) are noted in BALF. It is known that DNTs in the blood are associated with immunoregulation and autoimmune diseases. However, there are only few studies on DNTs in BALF. We evaluated the DNTs in BALF in patients with pulmonary diseases. METHODS: Immunophenotyping results of the BALF obtained from 122 pulmonary disease patients over an 8-yr period were reviewed. T-lymphocyte subsets (T4, T8, and DNT) and inflammatory markers were analyzed for each group of clinical diagnosis. T-lymphocyte percentage of more than 15% of the total cells was defined as BALF lymphocytosis, and DNT percentage of more than 5% of T lymphocytes was defined as high DNT. RESULTS: The most frequent diseases found in the patients were pneumonia (31.6%), autoimmune-related ILDs (18.0%), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (10.7%), and organizing pneumonia (10.7%). However, the occurrence of autoimmune-related ILDs was significantly high (40%) in patients with lymphocytosis and high DNT (P=0.002). All lung cancer patients showed lymphocytosis with high DNT. In addition, CD3-signal intensities of DNTs were significantly higher than those of other T-lymphocyte subtypes (P=0.003). CONCLUSION: The number of DNTs in BALF was increased in patients with autoimmune-related ILDs and lung cancer. High DNTs in BALF are useful as supportive diagnostic tools for autoimmune-related ILDs.

Prognostic Factors of the RA Patients with ILD

OBJECTIVE: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in RA. We compared demographic and clinical characteristics of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) patterns in RA patients and determined the prognostic factors that influence the survival of RA-ILD patients. METHODS: 51 enrolled RA patients (male n=21, female n=30) with ILD underwent HRCT. We categorized ILD into two groups, as the UIP pattern and the NSIP pattern, using HRCT. HRCT scans were scored to investigate the extent of the ILD. We divided the extent of the interstitial lung disease into 4 groups 1~14%, 15~19%, 20~24%, >25%. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the UIP and NSIP pattern in the clinical characteristics, except for age at the time of the study (RA-NSIP pattern vs RA-UIP pattern 62.3+/-11.7 vs 68.2+/-8.4, p=0.042). There were no significant differences in survival time between the RA-UIP and RA-NSIP pattern (Log rank p=0.985). The extent of ILD on chest HRCT was significantly associated with mortality (HR=1.044, 95% CI 1.019~1.069) and patients that were diagnosed with ILD at an older age (HR=1.109, 95% CI 1.024~1.200) were associated with a worse prognosis. Comparing four groups divided by the extent of the lung disease, there were significant differences in survival estimates (Log-rank p-value<0.001) based on an ILD extent of 15%. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that the extent of ILD on chest HRCT was found to be significantly associated with poor prognosis of RA-ILD patients.

Prognostic Factors of the RA Patients with ILD

OBJECTIVE: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in RA. We compared demographic and clinical characteristics of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) patterns in RA patients and determined the prognostic factors that influence the survival of RA-ILD patients. METHODS: 51 enrolled RA patients (male n=21, female n=30) with ILD underwent HRCT. We categorized ILD into two groups, as the UIP pattern and the NSIP pattern, using HRCT. HRCT scans were scored to investigate the extent of the ILD. We divided the extent of the interstitial lung disease into 4 groups 1~14%, 15~19%, 20~24%, >25%. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the UIP and NSIP pattern in the clinical characteristics, except for age at the time of the study (RA-NSIP pattern vs RA-UIP pattern 62.3+/-11.7 vs 68.2+/-8.4, p=0.042). There were no significant differences in survival time between the RA-UIP and RA-NSIP pattern (Log rank p=0.985). The extent of ILD on chest HRCT was significantly associated with mortality (HR=1.044, 95% CI 1.019~1.069) and patients that were diagnosed with ILD at an older age (HR=1.109, 95% CI 1.024~1.200) were associated with a worse prognosis. Comparing four groups divided by the extent of the lung disease, there were significant differences in survival estimates (Log-rank p-value<0.001) based on an ILD extent of 15%. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that the extent of ILD on chest HRCT was found to be significantly associated with poor prognosis of RA-ILD patients.

Patient's Perception of Symptoms Related to Morning Activity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The SYMBOL Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience more problematic respiratory symptoms and have more trouble performing daily activities in the morning. The aim of this study was to assess the perception of COPD symptoms related to morning activities in patients with severe airflow limitation. METHODS: Data of 133 patients with severe airflow limitation were analyzed in a prospective, non-interventional study. A clinical symptom questionnaire was completed by patients at baseline. In patients having morning symptoms, defined by at least one or more prominent or aggravating symptom during morning activities, a morning activity questionnaire was also completed at baseline and following 2 months of COPD treatment. RESULTS: The most frequently reported COPD symptom was breathlessness (90.8%). Morning symptoms were reported in 76 (57%) patients; these had more frequent and severe clinical COPD symptoms. The most frequently reported morning activity was getting out of bed (82.9%). The long acting muscarinic antagonist (odds ratio [OR], 6.971; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.317 to 11.905) and chest tightness (OR, 0.075; 95% CI, 0.011 to 0.518) were identified as significantly related to absence of morning symptoms. There was no significant correlation between the degree of forced expiratory volume in 1 second improvement and severity score differences of all items of morning activity after 2-month treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Fifty-seven percent of COPD patients with severe airflow limitation have morning symptoms that limit their morning activities. These patients also have more prevalent and severe COPD symptoms. The results of this study therefore provide valuable information for the development of patient-reported outcomes in COPD.

Relationship between Taste Genotype and Smoking and Alcohol Intake / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Genetic variations of bitter taste receptors (TAS2R) have shown different responses to bitter taste compounds and the frequencies of these variations were different within and between populations. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS2R38 and TAS2R16 genes demonstrated a significant association with smoking and alcohol consumption in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between bitter taste gene polymorphism and cigarette smoking and alcohol intake in Korean. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred seventy four healthy normal volunteers were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding demographic information, smoking history, frequency of alcohol intake. Peripheral blood samples were obtained for DNA extraction and genotyping. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified on the TAS2R38 and TAS2R16 genes. RESULTS: Haplotype analyses of the three SNPs inside the TAS2R38 gene allowed identifying of only two haplotypes that were associated with the non-taster phenotype (AVI homozygous) and the taster phenotype (PAV homozygous and PAV/AVI heterozygous). Common SNP within TAS2R16, which results in aminoacid change in the protein (K172N), is not demonstrated in this study. Smokers and frequent drinkers were more prevalent among non-tasters than tasters in male. CONCLUSION: Functional variants in TAS2R38 correlated with cigarette smoking in the Korean male. Our findings suggest that taster status plays a role in governing the development of nicotine dependence.

E6 Oncoprotein Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and E6 oncoprotein expression are known risk factors for the development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of HPV 16/18 E6 oncoprotein expression in patients with NSCLC. METHODS: Immunohistochemical stains of the HPV 16/18 E6 oncoprotein were performed in tumor tissues from 68 patients with NSCLC who underwent curative surgery from March 2006 to November 2008. RESULTS: The E6 oncoprotein was expressed in 29.4%of patients with NSCLC and a statistical analysis revealed that E6 oncoprotein expression was significantly higher in females (p=0.028), never smokers (p=0.045), and patients with adenocarcinoma (p=0.022) than that in other patients. CONCLUSION: The E6 oncoprotein was expressed in 29.4% of patients with NSCLC. Further studies detecting HPV infection and E6 oncoprotein expression in never smoking patients with NSCLC are needed.

Lymphocytic Interstitial Pneumonia in Primary Sjogren's Syndrome: A Case Report

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disorder in which lymphocytes infiltrate the exocrine glands, resulting in the development of sicca symptoms. Lymphocytes may also invade various other organs and cause diverse symptoms. Interstitial pneumonia has been observed frequently in SS patients. Typically, the pneumonia responds well to systemic steroids, and fatal cases are rare. We experienced a case of lymphocytic pneumonia accompanied by SS and treated with cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, and we present details of the case herein.

The prognostic significance of FDG-PET in advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Korea. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprises 80~85% of lung cancer. Positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) shows various levels of FDG uptake for patients with NSCLC. This study determined whether the standardized uptake value (SUV) of FDG uptake by PET is a prognostic factor for advanced NSCLC. METHODS: FDG-PET was performed in 59 patients with stage IIIb and IV NSCLC. The SUV was calculated for each patient. Overall survival (OS) and time to progression were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and evaluated with the log-rank test. The prognostic significance was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A cutoff of 7 for the SUV gave the best criminative value. In the univariate analysis, performance status (p=0.02) and SUV (p=0.03) were significant predictors of OS. The patients with low SUVs (7, p=0.04). A multivariate Cox analysis identified performance status and the SUV as important for the prognosis. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that SUV is a significant prognostic factor in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Visceral Pleural Invasion as a Prognostic Factor for Recurrence in Resected IB Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Several trials have reported on whether adjuvant chemotherapy for resected stage IB non-small cell lung cancer is needed. The aim of our study was to investigate prognostic factors for recurrence to help identify patients who should receive adjuvant chemotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We reviewed the cases of 48 stage IB non-small cell lung cancer patients between 1997 and 2006. Disease-free survival and overall survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analysis was performed with the log rank test and multivariate analysis was done using Cox's proportional hazard model. RESULT: The median follow-up time was 48 months. The overall survival rate was 55.9%, and the disease-free survival rate was 48.6%. Of 8 variables, two factors, visceral pleural invasion and lymphovascular invasion, were prognostic factors of disease-free survival (univariate analysis). Visceral pleural invasion was a significant prognostic factor in multivariate analysis, and overall survival in compared one or more variable such as visceral pleural invasion or, and lymphovascular invasion with the other variables. CONCLUSION: Visceral pleural invasion was identified as a poor prognostic factor and it may help select which patients will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in addition to more comprehensive follow-up.

Improvement of Pulmonary Function after Administration of Azithromycin in a Patient with Bronchiolitis Obliterans: a Case Report / 결핵및호흡기질환

Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a serious noninfectious complication following an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT). A 21-year-old female received an allogeneic BMT as a treatment for myelodyplastic syndrome. Four months after the BMT, progressive dyspnea developed and BO was also diagnosed by a lung biopsy. The patient was administered steroid and immunosuppressive agents for 1 year but there was no improvement in pulmonary function. Azithromycin was prescribed (500 mg q.d. for 3 days followed by 250 mg three time a week) because macrolides might decrease the inflammatory reaction leading to BO. The patient's pulmonary function improved after administration of azithromycin for 1 year. The forced expiratory volume in a one second (FEV1) increase was 220 mL (28.2%) and the forced vital capacity (FVC) increase was 460 mL (25.7%). We report the improvement in the pulmonary function after the administration of azithromycin for 1 year in a patient with BO after a BMT.

The Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Elderly Patients with Lung Cancer Diagnosed in Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in South Korea since the year 2000 and it is more common in elderly patients, with a peak incidence at around 70~80 years of age. However, these elderly patients receive treatment less often than do the younger patients because of organ dysfunction related to their age and their comorbidities, and they show poor tolerance to chemotherapy. The aims of this study were to analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment-related survival of elderly patients with lung cancer. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical data of 706 lung cancer patients who were diagnosed at hospitals in Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo from January 2005 to December 2005. We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of the patients who were aged 70 years and older (elderly patients) with those clinical characteristics and outcomes of the younger individuals. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 68 years (from 29 to 93) and the elderly patients were 38.7% (n=273) of all the study's patients. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common type of lung cancer in both the elderly and younger patient groups. Elderly patients had more symptoms of dyspnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than the younger patients (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). A good performance status (ECOG 0-1) was less common for the elderly patients (p<0.001). The median survival of the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was significantly higher in the younger patient group than in the elderly patient group (962 days vs 298 days, respectively, p=0.001). However, the median survival of the NSCLC patients who received any treatment showed no significant difference between the younger patient group and the elderly patient group (1,109 days vs 708 days, respectively, p=0.14). CONCLUSION: Our data showed that appropriate treatment for selected elderly patients improved the survival of patients with NSCLC. Therefore, elderly NSCLC patients with a good performance status should be encouraged to receive appropriate treatment.