Wildfire exposure linked to worse survival among operated patients of non small cell lung cancer: JAMA

A new study by Danlu Zhang and team found that wildfire exposure was linked to worse overall survival after non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) surgical resection, suggesting that individuals with lung cancer are more vulnerable to the health dangers of wildfires and should be prioritized in climate adaptation efforts. The findings of this study were published in the Journal of American Medical Association.

Wildfire activity in the US has grown considerably as a result of climate change, posing multiple and cumulative health risks. Individuals who have been discharged from the hospital following surgical excision of non-small cell lung cancer are perhaps more vulnerable to the health dangers of wildfires. As a result, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between wildfire exposure and postoperative long-term overall survival in patients with lung cancer in the United States.

Individuals from the National Cancer Database who underwent curative-intent NSCLC resection between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2019, were chosen for this cohort research. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Fire Information for Resource Management System was used to aggregate daily wildfire data at the zip code level. The data was analyzed between July 19, 2022 and April 14, 2023. Between 0 and 3, 4 and 6, or 7 and 12 months following NSCLC surgery, an active wildfire was discovered in the zip code of residence. The period between the age of hospital release and the age at last contact, death, or study termination was classified as survival.

The key findings of this study were:

The study comprised 466 912 people, with 48 582 (10.4%) being exposed to a wildfire between 0 and 3 months, 48 328 (10.6%) between 4 and 6 months, and 71 735 (15.3%) between 7 and 12 months following NSCLC surgery.

Individuals exposed to a wildfire within three months, four to six months, and seven to twelve months after release from the hospital following stage I to III NSCLC resection had more severe overall survival than those who were not exposed.

Reference:

Zhang, D., Xi, Y., Boffa, D. J., Liu, Y., & Nogueira, L. M. (2023). Association of Wildfire Exposure While Recovering From Lung Cancer Surgery With Overall Survival. In JAMA Oncology. American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.2144