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A. Gandhi



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    MINI 29 - Meta Analyses and Trial Conduct (ID 156)

    • Event: WCLC 2015
    • Type: Mini Oral
    • Track: Treatment of Advanced Diseases - NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      MINI29.02 - Effect of Statins and Metformin on Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ID 363)

      18:30 - 20:00  |  Author(s): A. Gandhi

      • Abstract
      • Presentation
      • Slides

      Background:
      Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death worldwide; with the incidence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risen dramatically, the importance of understanding the influence of comorbidities and their treatments takes a great importance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of statins and metformin on survival in patients with NSCLC.

      Methods:
      We reviewed the records of all patients diagnosed with NSCLC at our institution from 2011 to 2013. Demographics, tumor characteristics, comorbidities, statin/ metformin use and survival were analyzed. Cox regression was used for multivariate analysis.

      Results:
      A total 205 patients were studied. Median age at diagnosis was 65 years (40-91), there were more males than females (56% vs. 44%, p<0.01. 74% (152) were current or former smokers with average 40 pack years (5-60). The Median BMI was 26.5kg/m2 (18-44), ECOG status was 1 (0-4) and serum creatinine of 1.0 (0.4-3.5). Regarding comorbidities: 48% (98) had hypertension, 45% (93) hyperlipidemia, 22% (44) COPD and 19% (39) diabetes mellitus. At diagnosis, 66% (136) of the patients had stage III/IV disease vs. 25% (69) with stage I/II, p<0.0001. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histologic subtype (61%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (27%). 42% received surgery, 80% systemic chemotherapy and 32% radiation. Median survival was 1520 days (95% CI: 1310-1765). 42% (87) of the patients were taking statins and 13% (27) metformin. About the statin use, 58% of the patients were using statins for 25-48 months, 12% for >48 months, 11% for 13-24 months and 18% for less than 12 months. Female gender (OR: 1.98, p<0.001), age<65 years (OR: 0.89, p<0.01) and statin use (OR: 0.78, p<0.02) were independent predictors of survival by multivariate analysis. Metformin use was not a predictor of survival by univariate or multivariate analysis in this group of patients.

      Conclusion:
      In our cohort, we observed that almost half of the patients had hypertension and hyperlipidemia with statin use been a significant predictor of survival. Statins are one of the mostly widely prescribed drugs in the US; their proven anti-inflammatory effects may play a role in inhibiting cancer growth. However, the exact mechanisms by which statins inhibit cancer proliferation remains unclear. While other observational studies have looked at statins and risk of developing cancer, we specifically looked at the effect of statins on survival in patients on statin therapy prior to cancer diagnosis. More studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the effect of statins on lung cancer.

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