Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 May;141(5):1216-1223.
doi: 10.1378/chest.11-0101. Epub 2011 Oct 20.

Emphysema scores predict death from COPD and lung cancer

Javier J Zulueta  1 , Juan P Wisnivesky  2 , Claudia I Henschke  3 , Rowena Yip  4 , Ali O Farooqi  4 , Dorothy I McCauley  5 , Mildred Chen  5 , Daniel M Libby  6 , James P Smith  6 , Mark W Pasmantier  6 , David F Yankelevitz  4
Affiliations

Emphysema scores predict death from COPD and lung cancer

Javier J Zulueta et al. Chest. 2012 May.

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to assess the usefulness of emphysema scores in predicting death from COPD and lung cancer.

Methods: Emphysema was assessed with low-dose CT scans performed on 9,047 men and women for whom age and smoking history were documented. Each scan was scored according to the presence of emphysema as follows: none, mild, moderate, or marked. Follow-up time was calculated from time of CT scan to time of death or December 31, 2007, whichever came first. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of emphysema as a predictor of death.

Results: Median age was 65 years, 4,433 (49%) were men, and 4,133 (46%) were currently smoking or had quit within 5 years. Emphysema was identified in 2,637 (29%) and was a significant predictor of death from COPD (HR, 9.3; 95% CI, 4.3-20.2; P < .0001) and from lung cancer (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.5; P = .013), even when adjusted for age and smoking history.

Conclusions: Visual assessment of emphysema on CT scan is a significant predictor of death from COPD and lung cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Kaplan-Meier curves showing an increase in the COPD-specific deaths for participants with emphysema on CT scans. A, Compared with those without emphysema B, As the extent of emphysema increases.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Kaplan-Meier curves showing an increase in lung cancer-specific mortality for subjects with emphysema on CT scans. A, Compared with those without emphysema. B, As the extent of emphysema increases.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hansell AL, Walk JA, Soriano JB. What do chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients die from? A multiple cause coding analysis. Eur Respir J. 2003;22(5):809–814. - PubMed
    1. Lopez AD, Shibuya K, Rao C, et al. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: current burden and future projections. Eur Respir J. 2006;27(2):397–412. - PubMed
    1. Murray CJ, Lopez AD. Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990-2020: Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet. 1997;349(9064):1498–1504. - PubMed
    1. Sin DD, Anthonisen NR, Soriano JB, Agusti AG. Mortality in COPD: Role of comorbidities. Eur Respir J. 2006;28(6):1245–1257. - PubMed
    1. Rabe KF, Hurd S, Anzueto A, et al. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: GOLD executive summary. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007;176(6):532–555. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms