Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Retrospective Study

Background: The number of fatalities caused by lung cancer has surpassed that of prostate, breast, brain, and colorectal cancers all together. As of recently, it ranked second among female cancer killers and first among male cancer patients overall. But anti-smoking initiatives and falling tobacco consumption in the US have led to a recent decline in this number. Aim and objectives: To evaluate non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in terms of their pathological and clinical features, as well as their demographics, staging features, and survival rate. Patients and methods: This retrospective analysis includes 100 patients who were referred to the Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine department at Al-Hussein University Hospital between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2022, and who had a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of de novo NSCLC. Results: Patients with stage 4 NSCLC had an overall survival (OS) of 3.4 months±0.872, whereas those with stage 3 had an OS of 11 months±3.864. Stage 4 patients had a progression-free survival (PFS) of 2.6 months±0.793, while stage 3 patients had a PFS of 9 months±0.456. These survival rates are consistent with the results of other worldwide investigations. Conclusion: Significant correlations between smoking, gender, histology, and molecular markers. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant subtype, frequently associated with non-smokers, females, and higher rates of EGFR mutations and PD-L1 positivity. In contrast, squamous cell carcinoma was more common in male smokers and correlated with COPD. Comorbidities like COPD and CVD added complexity to management. Despite the critical role of PD-L1 and EGFR testing in guiding treatment, their utilization remained suboptimal, reflecting a gap in diagnostic practices.