Trends in Stage Distribution for Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A National Cancer Database Survey

Introduction

We examined the recent changes in stage distribution in newly diagnosed patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a national database to assess the impact of recent advances in imaging modalities.

Methods

We searched the National Cancer Database for patients with NSCLC diagnosed between the calendar years 1998 and 2006 for which staging information was available.

Results

Among the 877,518 patients diagnosed with NSCLC during the study period, staging information was available for 813,302 patients (92.6%). We observed a change in stage distribution between the years 2000 and 2001, with a decrease in stage I, from 27.5 to 24.8%, and a corresponding increase in stage IV, from 35.4 to 38.8%. No significant changes in stage distribution were noted after 2002.

Conclusion

Our study showed a recent and significant stage migration in patients with NSCLC. It is likely that increased acceptance and widespread use of ¹⁸fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scan and routine brain imaging could account for these changes.