Outcomes of Treatment, Survival Rates, and Factors related to Survival of Stage III Lung Cancer Patients Treated at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Stage III lung cancer (Stage III-LC) is characterized by local metastasis. The treatments for LC differ at each stage, while for stage IIIA and IIIB treatment various approaches have been tried with uncertain results. We determined the survival time of Stage III-LC patient and compared survival among multiple factors. METHODS: Data were collected from the Srinagarind Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (2014 - 2019). 324 patients from Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, were followed up until December 31, 2021. The survival rate was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and the Log-rank test. In addition, hazard ratios (HR) and the 95% CI were estimated using Cox regression. RESULTS: Of the 324 Stage III-LC patients, the total follow-up time was 447.3 person-years, and 288 cases died during the study, for a mortality rate of 64.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 57.40-72.27). The respective 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate was 44.1% (95% CI: 38.67-49.45), 16.2 (95% CI: 12.34-20.51), and 9.3 (95% CI: 6.14-13.31). The median survival time was 0.84 years (10.1 months) (95% CI: 0.73-1.00). After adjusting for sex and stage of disease, sequential chemoradiotherapy (SC) represented the most independent predictor of the risk of death (adjusted HR= 1.58; 95% CI: 1.41-2.18). Females had a mortality risk of 0.74-fold compared to males (adjusted HR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57-0.95). Stage of disease and stages IIIB and III (unknown and undefined) had a respective 1.33-fold (adjusted HR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.00-1.84) and 1.48-fold (adjusted HR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09-2.00) risk of death compared to stage IIIA. CONCLUSION: Sex, stage of disease, and SC were related to stage III-LC survival, so physicians should emphasize combination therapy. Further research should focus on combination therapy and survival among Stage III-LC patients.

Lung Cancer Survival with Current Therapies and New Targeted Treatments: A Comprehensive Update from the Srinagarind Hospital-Based Cancer Registry from (2013 to 2017).

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) is a common malignancy and leading cause of cancer death worldwide and in Thailand. An update on LC survival factors after diagnosis at Srinagarind Hospital is needed. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, and the data were sourced from the Srinagarind Hospital-Based Cancer Registry. All LC cases were diagnosed between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017, and followed up until November 30, 2019. Cases of LC (ICD-O-3) numbered 2,149, but only those with coding C34.0-C34.9 were included. The survival rate was estimated using Kaplan-Meier, while the Log-rank test was used to estimate survival. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: The 2,149 patients had a total follow-up of 269.6 person-years. Overall, 1,867 patients died during the study, for a corresponding case-fatality mortality rate of 86.0 per 100 person-years. The respective 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate was 31.2 % (95% CI; 29.21 to 33.15%), 12.9 % (95%CI: 11.49 to 14.45), and 10.2% (95%CI: 8.74 to 11.70). After patient diagnosis, the median survival time was 0.46 years (5.51 months) (95% CI: 0.42 to 0.50). Targeted therapy was associated with longer survival than non-targeted therapy (p-value < 0.001). After adjusting for sex, TNM stage, and histologic type, multivariable analysis of the entire cohort identified chemotherapy as an independent predictor of improved survival (adjusted HR= 0.48; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.55; P < 0.001), and that sex, TNM stage, and histologic type were associated with survival. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that sex, stage of disease, histology, and chemotherapy are associated with survival of LC. Primary prevention and screening for early detection improve survival. Further investigations into factors affecting survival of LC in Northeast Thailand should focus on targeted therapy.
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Coffee Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study in Khon Kaen Thailand.

BACKGROUND:   Lung cancer is a major cause of cancer death worldwide. The incidence of lung cancer in Thailand increasing, but risk factors are rarely reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of coffee consumption on lung cancer in Thai population. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2001, lifestyle and demographic data were collected from 24,528 participants in the Khon Kaen Cohort Study (KKCS), who were followed through 2016, by linking to the Khon Kaen Population-based Cancer Registry. A total of 12,668 eligible participants (68.8% females, mean age 51.0 years at baseline) having complete datasets (239,488 person-years of follow up with 138 incident cases of lung cancer observed) were analyzed using a multi-variable adjusted Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Coffee consumption was associated with reduced risk for lung cancer (adj. HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.35-0.84) after adjusting for age and gender.  Cigarette smoking (adj. HR = 2.76; 95% CI: 1.32-5.78) and family history of cancer (adj. HR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.10-2.48) were associated with higher risk. CONCLUSION: This study suggests coffee consumption may be a protective factor for lung cancer in among this cohort.
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Atezolizumab-Induced Autoimmune Diabetes in a Patient With Metastatic Lung Cancer.

Context: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), now FDA-approved, are increasingly used as an effective treatment of various cancers. Autoimmune diabetes is a rare but life-threatening endocrine adverse event, which has been reported in patients treated with anti-programmed-cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) and anti-programmed-cell death-1 ligand (anti-PD-L1) therapies. Case description: We report a 52-year-old woman with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer who presented with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at 24 weeks after atezolizumab initiation. She initially received oral antidiabetic medication from primary care hospital and experienced recurrent DKA 3 days later. Her plasma glucose on the day that she had recurrent DKA was 332 mg/dL (18.4 mmol/L), A1c was 7.9% (63 mmol/mol), fasting C-peptide was <0.03 nmol/L (0.1 ng/ml), fasting insulin level was <1 µIU/ml, anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GADA) was 7.2 U/ml (normal, >5 U/ml), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II typing was DR3-DQ2/DR14-DQ5. A diagnosis of autoimmune diabetes was made. After treatment for DKA, she recovered and received basal-bolus insulin treatment. Atezolizumab had been discontinued after the fifth cycle, prior to the development of DKA, due to progression of lung cancer. Conclusion: To date, there has been neither an effective way to detect if a patient is at high risk for autoimmune diabetes nor to prevent the complications associated with it. Regular glucose monitoring is the best method of early diabetes detection. In patients with new onset diabetes following treatment with ICIs, C-peptide levels and GADA should be screened, and insulin therapy should be prescribed to prevent hyperglycemic emergency while waiting for definite diagnosis.

Long-term outcomes and predictors of survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital cardiac arrest in a tertiary care hospital in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data available regarding long-term survival and its predictors in cases of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in which patients receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation. PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to determine the 1-year survival rates and predictors of survival after IHCA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected on all adult patients who were administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 in Srinagarind Hospital (Thailand). Clinical outcomes of interest and survival at discharge and 1 year after hospitalization were reviewed. Descriptive statistics and survival analysis were used to analyze the outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 202 patients that were included, 48 (23.76%) were still alive at hospital discharge and 17 (about 8%) were still alive at 1 year post cardiac arrests. The 1-year survival rate for the cardiac arrest survivors post hospital discharge was 72.9%. Prearrest serum HCO3<20 meq/L, asystole, urine <800 cc/d, postarrest coma, and absence of pupillary reflex were predictors of death. CONCLUSION: Only 7.9% of patients with IHCA were alive 1 year following cardiac arrest. Prearrest serum HCO3<20 meq/L, asystole, urine <800 cc/d, postarrest coma, and absence of pupillary reflex were the independent factors that predicted long-term mortality.

Mortality risk factors during readmission at the Department of Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Readmission is an indicator of quality of inpatient care. A study from Hong Kong found readmission mortality rate to be 5.1%. There are limited reports on risk factors for mortality other than co-morbid diseases in readmission patients. This study, thus, aims to evaluate risk factors for mortality during readmission. METHODS: This study was conducted at a university hospital in Thailand. The inclusion criteria were patients aged ≥15 years and readmission to internal medicine wards within 28 days after discharge. The outcome of the study was death during readmission. Risk factors for readmission mortality were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 10,389 admissions to the Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, of which 407 required readmission (3.90%). Of those patients, 75 (18.43%) died during readmission. There were 6 independent factors associated with death in patients who were readmitted, including advanced age (>60 years), presence of more than 2 co-morbid diseases, admission duration of >14 days, fever at previous discharge, low hemoglobin (<12 g/dL), and having undergone over 5 procedures. CONCLUSION: Older age, co-morbid diseases, readmission duration, presence of low hemoglobin at previous discharge, and numbers of procedures at readmission were significantly associated with increased mortality risk for readmission patients.

Melatonin in patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The MIRCIT trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of advanced Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive 10 mg or 20 mg of melatonin or placebo. Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was completed at baseline, and at 2, 3 and 7 months. Survival and adverse events were collected. DNA damage marker 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) was measured during the first three months of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Patients in the melatonin-treated group had better adjusted HRQoL scores, with a slightly significantly better score (2.69 points, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.01-5.38, p=0.049) being found in social well-being. Median survival was 7.3 months (95% CI=3.42-11.14) without significant difference. A great amont of DNA damage marker was observed in the placebo-treated group, and this was associated with lower survival (r(2)=-0.656, p=0.02), implying the protective effect of melatonin in healthy cells. CONCLUSION: Melatonin in combination with chemotherapy did not affect survival and adverse events of advanced patients with NSCLC, but there was a trend for better HRQoL.

Lung cancer in hospitalized patients of Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: To identify admission rates, treatments and healthcare cost of lung cancer MATERIAL AND METHOD: Information on illness of inpatients and casualties came from hospitals nationwide and from hospital withdrawals from the 3 health insurance schemes in the fiscal year 2010. The data included 96% of the population and were analyzed by age groups, hospital levels, treatment and insurance schemes in patients with lung cancer. RESULTS: Lung cancer occurred in 27,896 of all admissions, contributing to admission rate of 60 per 100,000 persons. The admission rates were markedly increased in male more than 60 years old. The majority of treatments were palliative care 61.38%, chemotherapy 36.81%. The average length of stay and hospital charges in three insurance schemes groups: government welfare, social welfare and universal coverage were 40,571.29 Baht/9.86 days, 43,342.54 Baht/8.24 days and 17,897.75 Baht/6.08 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Admission rates showed that lung cancer increased with age. The highest rate was observed in more than 60 years old. The window gap in hospital charges and length of stay in three insurance schemes are interesting. Thus, analysis of treatment protocol should be examined.

Prevalence and management of cancer pain in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer pain remains an invisible problem in cancer care and our study aimed to document its prevalence, characteristics, and patterns of management at a tertiary care teaching hospital. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive, prospective, cohort study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We recruited 335 consecutive adult patients diagnosed with cancers, admitted to Srinagarind Hospital, between February and April 2004. All of the participants were interviewed, and their pain evaluated by direct assessment using a numeric rating scale. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of cancer pain prior to admission was 56.5%, and within the first 24 hours of admission 41.5%. Three-quarters (74%) of patients with pain reported improvement; however one-third of those with pain never received any pain control intervention. Moreover; about half of those with persistent pain only received treatment by requesting it and then only received simple analgesics. CONCLUSION: Cancer pain remains under-detected and under-treated in many patients. Pain monitoring on a regular basis as well as a training program on pain management should be considered as first-line tools for improving pain control among cancer patients.

PCR diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii on sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples in immuno-compromised patients.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was compared with Wright-Giemsa (WG), Gomori methenamine silver (GMS) stains and an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for detection of Pneumocystis carinii in immuno-compromised patients. Specimens of 21 bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) and 139 sputum samples, were obtained from 157 patients (38 with AIDS and 119 with HIV) from four hospitals in Khon Kaen, Thailand. A true positive required at least two positives by techniques considered gold standard tests. Eleven (52.38%) BAL and 13 (9.35%) sputum specimens were positive. PCR produced the highest sensitivity and negative predictive values for the BAL (100% for each) vs. sputum samples at 84.62 and 98.41 percent, respectively. The specificity of PCR was 90% and 98.41% for BAL and sputum samples, respectively. We suggest PCR is an important tool for the epidemiological study of P. carinii in high-risk individuals.

Diagnostic yield of adenosine deaminase in bronchoalveolar lavage.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity rises in various body fluids in patients with tuberculosis. A prospective study was conducted to determine the diagnostic value of ADA activity in bronchoalveolar lavage. Between March 2001 and February 2003, 148 patients were enrolled in our study, mean age 55.6 years (SD 14.6), and a male to female ratio of 2.4:1. The mean duration of symptoms was 66.2 days. All patients were either sputum-smear negative for AFB or failed to produce sputum. The final diagnosis resulted in three patient groups: 43 with pulmonary tuberculosis, 70 malignancy, and 35 miscellaneous causes. The mean ADA activity in the bronchoalveolar lavage for the pulmonary tuberculosis, malignancy, and miscellaneous causes groups was 8.98 (95% CI, 3.79-14.17), 7.63 (95% CI, 4.12-11.14), and 11.61 U/l (95% CI, 3.59-19.62), respectively. No difference was detected in the ADA level in the pulmonary tuberculosis vs other groups (p=0.56, one-way ANOVA). A high level of ADA activity was found in non-tuberculous conditions such as bronchogenic carcinoma, pulmonary hemosiderosis, chronic pneumonia with empyema thoracis and chronic myeloid leukemia. We concluded that ADA activity in the bronchoalveolar lavage was not clearly diagnostic of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis. Early diagnosis required histopathology of biopsied transbronchial specimens obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy.