Epidemiology, diagnostics and long-term overall survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in the Brest Region

Introduction: Lung cancer has been the most common cancer in the world and in Belarus.

Aim of the research: To evaluate the epidemiology of non-small cell lung cancer and improvements in diagnostics and treatment for the past 11 years in the Brest Region of Belarus.

Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of statistical data (incidence rate, mortality) in the regional cancer registry of the Brest oncological clinic since 2000 and assessed survival for 652 adult patients with different stages of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent surgery in the Thoracic Surgery Department of Brest Regional Hospital in 2002–2010.

Results: Lung cancer continues to have the highest incidence rate among malignant neoplasms and because of its high fatality rate is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the Brest Region and Belarus. The chest radiography screening programme of lung cancer since 2000 and the implementation of computed tomography (CT)- and ultrasonography (USG)-guided needle biopsy and VATS LigaSure pulmonary wedge resection for the evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules has allowed an increase of diagnostic rates and improved the histological confirmation rate of lung cancer in the Brest Region. Multivariate analysis indicates that male sex, age older than seventy and incomplete surgical resection are independent predictors of poor prognosis for postoperative long-term overall survival.

Conclusions: Today it is necessary to carry out low-dose spiral computerized diagnostics in the Brest Region, which would detect a greater proportion of asymptomatic lung cancers. Surgical resection remains the only consistent and successful option of a cure for patients with lung cancer.