Increase in curative treatment and survival of lung cancer in Norway 2001-2016.

We have studied the alterations in the use of curative treatment and the outcome for lung cancer patients in Norway 2001-2016. The Cancer Registry of Norway has a practically complete registration of all cancer diagnoses, treatments given and deaths. For the years 2001-2016, 43,137 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer.

Measurement of health-related quality of life during chemotherapy - the importance of timing.

Background: Side effects of chemotherapy may occur at different time-points in the treatment cycle, and the exact assessment time relative to chemotherapy may affect HRQoL scores. The current study examined the variation of HRQoL during chemotherapy cycles, and whether differences in HRQoL scores varied at selected time-points between patients allocated to two different chemotherapy regimens.

Material And Methods: Patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were randomly assigned to receive three cycles of carboplatin plus vinorelbine (VC) or gemcitabine (GC) every 3 weeks.

Learning endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration - a 6-year experience at a single institution.

Introduction: Endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has become an important diagnostic tool for the pulmonologist. Learning this procedure and maintaining technical skills requires continuous practice and evaluation.

Objectives: The aims of the study were a retrospective evaluation of the diagnostic quality of the EBUS-technique and the learning profile of the endoscopy team during the first years (2007-2013) of experience in an unselected population.

Changes in skeletal muscle mass during palliative chemotherapy in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Background: Sarcopenia is a defining feature of cancer cachexia associated with physical decline, poor quality of life and poor prognosis. Thus, maintaining muscle mass is an important aim of cachexia treatment. Many patients at risk for developing cachexia or with cachexia experience side effects of chemotherapy that might aggravate the development of cachexia.

Influence of comorbidity on survival, toxicity and health-related quality of life in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer receiving platinum-doublet chemotherapy.

Aim Of The Study: To investigate whether patients with severe comorbidity receiving platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a shorter overall survival, experience more toxicity or more deterioration of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than other patients during treatment.

Patients And Methods: Patients enrolled onto a phase III trial comparing pemetrexed/carboplatin with gemcitabine/carboplatin as first-line therapy of stage IIIB/IV NSCLC were analysed. Eligible patients had performance status 0-2 and adequate kidney/liver/bone-marrow function.