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Multicenter Study
. 2016 Dec 1;122(23):3687-3696.
doi: 10.1002/cncr.30200. Epub 2016 Aug 9.

Risk and impact of pulmonary complications in survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

Andrew C Dietz  1 , Yan Chen  2 , Yutaka Yasui  3 , Kirsten K Ness  3 , James S Hagood  4 , Eric J Chow  5 , Marilyn Stovall  6 , Joseph P Neglia  7 , Kevin C Oeffinger  8 , Ann C Mertens  9 , Leslie L Robison  3 , Gregory T Armstrong  3 , Daniel A Mulrooney  3
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Risk and impact of pulmonary complications in survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

Andrew C Dietz et al. Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary complications after cancer therapy are varied. This study describes pulmonary outcomes among childhood cancer survivors and evaluates their impact on daily activities.

Methods: The incidence of pulmonary outcomes (asthma, chronic cough, emphysema, lung fibrosis, oxygen need, and recurrent pneumonia) reported among 5-year cancer survivors (n = 14,316) and the incidence of death due to pulmonary causes among all eligible survivors (n = 20,690) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were compared with those for sibling controls (n = 4027) with cumulative incidence, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and piecewise exponential models. Logistic regression with random effects was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for activity limitations with pulmonary complications.

Results: By the age of 45 years, the cumulative incidence of any pulmonary condition was 29.6% (95% CI, 29.1%-30.0%) for cancer survivors and 26.5% (95% CI, 24.9%-28.0%) for siblings. Fewer survivors reported ever smoking (23.6% vs 36.4%, P < .001), but survivors were more likely to report chronic cough (rate ratio [RR], 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9), oxygen need (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.5-2.2), lung fibrosis (RR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.3-5.4), and recurrent pneumonia (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-3.0). The SMR for death due to pulmonary causes was 5.9 (95% CI, 4.2-8.1), and it was associated with platinum exposure and lung radiation (P < .01). The impact of chronic cough on daily activities for survivors (OR vs survivors without chronic cough, 2.7) was greater than that for siblings (OR, 2.0; P = .04).

Conclusions: Pulmonary complications are substantial among adult survivors of childhood cancer and can affect daily activities. Cancer 2016;122:3687-96. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Keywords: cancer treatment; childhood cancer; late effects; pulmonary toxicity; survivorship.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors indicate no conflicts of interest

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 1
Figure 1
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Conditions Solid Line = Survivors; Dashed Line = Siblings
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative Incidence of Pulmonary Deaths
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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