P1.01-056 Lung Cancer Epidemiology in Croatia

Abstract

To analyze principal histological types of lung cancer, as well as sex and the age of patients, staging, tumor location, smoking history, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) history, and survival of lung cancer patients in Croatia. This was a retrospective study based on the analysis of medical charts of patients treated at the University Hospital “Split“, Split, Croatia, during 2015 and 2016. From July 2015 to February 2016, 332 patients with lung cancer, most of whom (75,30%) were male, were treated. Patients were between 36 and 85 years, with median age 65,5 years. There were 273 (84,78%) patients with NSCLC (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) and 49 (15,22%) patients with SCLC (Small Cell Lung Cancer). The most common histological type in patients with NSCLC was adenocarcinoma (58%), followed by squamos cell carcinoma (38%), NSCLC NOS (not otherwise specified) (2%), adenosquamos carcinoma (1%) and large cell carcinoma (1%). Among patients with NSCLC 13% are EGFR positive. Patients had mostly lung cancer in right lung (59,35%), most of them were smokers (88,40%), 20,70% patients had COPD and 21,05 % patients had pleural effusion. Concerning staging, 73,80% patients had stage IIIB and IV at the time of diagnosis, and the remaining 26,20% were classified as stage I-IIIA. The principal sites of metastases were lungs (24,45%), bones (23,6%), and liver (12,9%). One-year survival was 23,21% and median overall survival was 8,82 months for patients presented with stage IIIB and IV. Median age at death was 67,5 years. In accordance with the literature most of the lung cancer patients in Croatia are men, older age (but younger compared to developed countries), the most common histological type is adenocarcinoma. Most of the patients have cancer in the right lung, most of them are smokers and minority had COPD or pleural effusion. Most cases are presented in advanced stages at the moment of diagnosis. This effects on survival rate, which is lower compared to developed countries. To increase survival rate in Croatia smoking cessation should be encouraged, lung cancer screening, diagnosis and therapy should be improved, patients should be included in clinical trials and palliative care for terminal patients should be improved.