Treatment and Prognosis of Patients with Lung Cancer and Combined Interstitial Lung Disease.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with a higher lung cancer (LC) risk and may impact cancer's clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and outcomes. This impact's extent is unclear, particularly in Caucasians.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the files of all LC patients diagnosed in a 38-month period. Expert radiologists reviewed the computed tomography scans performed at diagnosis. Patients with LC and ILD ( = 29, 7%) were compared to those without ILD ( = 363, 93%) for population and cancer characteristics, treatments, and clinical outcomes.

Results: Patients with LC and ILD were older (73 ± 8 vs. 65 ± 11 years; < 0.001). There was no significant difference in LC histology, localization, stage, or treatment modalities. The respiratory complication rate after cancer treatment was significantly higher in the ILD group (39% vs. 6%; < 0.01). Overall survival rates were similar at 12 (52% vs. 59%; = 0.48) and 24 months (41% vs. 45%; = 0.64) but poorer in the ILD group at 36 months, although not statistically significant (9% vs. 39%; = 0.06). The ILD group had a higher probability of death (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.49 [0.96;2.27]), but this was not statistically significant ( = 0.06). In a Cox regression model, patients with ILD treated surgically had a significantly higher mortality risk (HR = 2.37 [1.1;5.09]; = 0.03).

Conclusions: Patients with combined LC and ILD have worse clinical outcomes even when similar treatment modalities are offered.