Applicability of the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Analysis in standard clinical practice conditions

Abstract

IntroductionThe COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score had been validated as a predictive tool capable of identifying patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a high mortality risk associated with lung cancer (LC); however, studies have not been conducted yet on its use in standard clinical practice. The aim of this study was to estimate the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO scores for patients with COPD treated in Pulmonology consultations and to determine the incidence of LC in each of the subgroups. Material and methodsA retrospective observational study was conducted with a cohort of 159 patients with COPD in Pulmonology outpatient follow-up consultations. We calculated the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score (0–8) for each patient, with low risk considered at 0–3 points and high risk at ≥3.5 points. We calculated the incidence rate of LC in each of the subgroups. ResultsSixty-two percent of the patients had a high-risk score. We estimated an overall LC rate of 30 per 1000 patients with COPD-year (95% CI: 16–53), 44 per 1000 patients with COPD-year (95% CI: 18–76) among those categorized as high risk and 17 per 1000 patients with COPD-year among those categorized as low risk (95% CI: 4–50). ConclusionsThe use of the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score in standard clinical practice could help detect patients with a greater risk of developing LC, which could help to better manage cases in an LC screening program.