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Background: Prior studies in the civilian population have reported racial disparities in lung cancer outcomes following surgical treatment, including inferior quality of care and worse survival. It is unclear if racial disparities exist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest integrated health care system in the United States.Research Question: Do racial disparities affect early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) outcomes following surgical treatment within the VHA?Study Design and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in veterans with clinical stage I NSCLC undergoing surgical treatment in the VHA system. Demographic characteristics, access to care, surgical quality measures, and short- and long-term oncologic outcomes between White and Black veterans were evaluated.Results: From 2006 to 2016, a total of 18,800 veterans with clinical stage I NSCLC were included. The rates of definitive surgical treatment were similar between Black (57.3%) and White (58.1%) veterans (P = .42). The final study cohort included 9,842 patients receiving surgical treatment, of whom 8,356 (84.9%) were White and 1,486 (15.1%) were Black. Black patients were younger and more likely to smoke, although comorbidities were similar between the two groups. Black patients were somewhat less likely to receive adequate lymph node sampling (30.6% vs 33.3%; P = .050); however, other access-to-care metrics and surgical quality measures, including rates of anatomic lobectomy (71.9% vs 69.4%; P = .189) and positive margins (3.2% vs 3.1%; P = .955), were similar between the two groups. Although Black veterans were less likely to experience major postoperative complications, there was no difference in 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality, or disease-free survival between the two groups. Black patients had significantly better risk-adjusted overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.802; 95% CI, 0.729-0.883; P < .001).Interpretation: Among veterans with NSCLC undergoing surgical treatment through the VHA, Black patients received comparable care with equivalent if not superior outcomes compared with White patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoking at the time of surgical treatment for lung cancer increases the risk for perioperative morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of persistent smoking in the postoperative period and its association with long-term oncologic outcomes are poorly described.Research Question: What is the relationship between persistent smoking and long-term outcomes in early-stage lung cancer after surgical treatment?Study Design and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using a uniquely compiled Veterans Health Administration dataset of patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing surgical treatment between 2006 and 2016. We defined persistent smoking as individuals who continued smoking 1 year after surgery and characterized the relationship between persistent smoking and disease-free survival and overall survival.Results: This study included 7,489 patients undergoing surgical treatment for clinical stage I NSCLC. Of 4,562 patients (60.9%) who were smoking at the time of surgery, 2,648 patients (58.0%) continued to smoke at 1 year after surgery. Among 2,927 patients (39.1%) who were not smoking at the time of surgical treatment, 573 (19.6%) relapsed and were smoking at 1 year after surgery. Persistent smoking at 1 year after surgery was associated with significantly shorter overall survival (adjusted hazard ration [aHR], 1.291; 95% CI, 1.197-1.392; P < .001). However, persistent smoking was not associated with inferior disease-free survival (aHR, 0.989; 95% CI, 0.884-1.106; P = .84).Interpretation: Persistent smoking after surgery for stage I NSCLC is common and is associated with inferior overall survival. Providers should continue to assess smoking habits in the postoperative period given its disproportionate impact on long-term outcomes after potentially curative treatment for early-stage lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is recognized as a characteristic syndrome of smoking-related interstitial lung disease that has a worse prognosis than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, outcomes after lung transplantation for CPFE have not been reported. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features and outcomes of CPFE after lung transplantation.Research Question: What are the clinical features and outcomes of CPFE after lung transplantation?Study Design and Methods: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with CPFE and IPF who underwent lung transplantation at our center between January 2011 and December 2016. We defined CPFE as ≥10% emphysema in the upper lung fields combined with fibrosis on high-resolution CT scan. We characterized the clinical features of patients with CPFE and compared their outcomes after lung transplantation with those with IPF.Results: Twenty-seven of 172 (16%) patients with IPF met criteria for CPFE. Severe pulmonary hypertension was present in 16 of 27 (59%) patients with CPFE. On logistic regression analysis, CPFE was significantly associated with primary graft dysfunction (PGD) grade 3 (OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.18-8.37; P = .02). On competing risk regression analysis, CPFE was associated with acute cellular rejection (ACR) grade ≥ A2, and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.89; 95% CI, 1.10-3.25; P = .02; HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.02-3.77; P = .04, respectively). Five-year survival was 79.0% for the CPFE group and 75.4% for the IPF group (log-rank P = .684).Interpretation: After transplantation, patients with CPFE were more likely to develop PGD, ACR, and CLAD compared with those with IPF. However, survival was not significantly different between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]