Predictors of skeletal-related events in non-small cell lung cancer patients with bone metastases

Background: Skeletal-related events (SREs) cause significant pain and morbidity to many non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We try to evaluate the predictive factor of SREs in NSCLC patients with bone metastases. Patients and methods: We retrospectively examined the medical charts of 273 patients diagnosed with bone metastases secondary to NSCLC. The predictive factor of SREs was analyzed using the first-event analyses and a survival-adjusted multiple-event analysis. Results: Out of 273 patients with bone metastases, 171 (62.6%) had at least one SRE and 46 of these experienced multiple SREs. In the first-event analyses, a larger proportion of ever-smokers have experienced the SRE compared with never-smokers (odds ratio, 2.80: 95% CI, 1.32-6.00). In addition, ever-smokers (hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% Cl, 1.05-2.92), patients without history of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) therapy (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.49-3.00) and patients with histology of nonadenocarcinoma (HR, 1.59; 95% Cl, 1.14-2.22) had a shorter median time from bone metastasis to first SRE. In a survival-adjusted multiple-event analysis, clinical characteristics such as ever-smoking, nonadenocarcinoma, poor performance status (ECOG >= 2), and no history of EGFR TKI therapy were independent risk factor of development of SRE throughout the course of disease. Conclusion: Our data indicate that patients with characteristics such as ever-smoking, nonadenocarcinoma, poor performance status, and no history of treatment with EGFR TKI are more likely to have SRE, so more vigilant surveillance and prevention should be considered to these patients. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.