[Clinical Epidemiology and Histological Characteristics of 3,663 Lung Cancer Patients in Sichuan Province from 2008 to 2013].

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common malignancy and is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Thus, this disease severely threatens human health. This study aims to identify the clinical epidemiology and histological characteristics of lung cancer patients in Sichuan areas. METHODS: We enrolled 3,761 lung-cancer patients who were identified as residents of Sichuan province and treated in West China Hospital from 2008 to 2013. RESULTS: A total of 3,663 patients from Central, Southern, North, and Western areas in Sichuan province, respectively, were enrolled. The average age of patients was 59.6 years, and patients were predominantly male (68.4%). Significant statistical differences were observed among the average age of patients, male, and pathological types in different regions (all P<0.05). In addition, compared with the 2008 group, the 2013 group had lower rates of adenocarcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma but higher rates of early-stage lung cancer and lymph-node metastasis. After a three-year follow-up of 1,003 cases, results showed that the 3-year overall survival (OS) was not the same in different regions (P=0.021), and that the poorest OS was in Western Sichuan. This result may be related to the high rate of patients with palliative care. CONCLUSIONS: For the last six years, the patients with lung cancer in Sichuan were mainly from Central Sichuan, male patients, elder (age > 60 yr) patients, and with adenocarcinoma of the lung. Patients of 2013 had lower rates of adenocarcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma but higher rates of early-stage lung cancer and lymph-node metastasis. Furthermore, the 3-year OS was not the same in different regions.