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

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-07-31T09:45:04+05:30 | Updated On 31 July 2023 4:09 PM IST

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

JAMA OncologyWildfirenon-small cell lung cancer

Source : JAMA Oncology

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751