Clinical Presentation, Disease Characteristics, and Predictors of Advanced-Stage Disease Among Patients with Lung Cancer

Abstract

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality and is often diagnosed at a late stage. This study aimed to characterize the clinical presentation, disease characteristics and identify independent predictors associated with advanced-stage lung cancer in primary lung cancer patients. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out for 6 months on 150 adult patients with primary lung. Information was gathered on demographic data, smoking habits, presenting symptoms, histology, tumor stage, metastatic status, and ECOG performance status via interviews, clinical examination, and medical record reviews. Stage III–IV disease was the outcome for multivariable logistic regression. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, descriptive statistics, association tests, and multivariable logistic regression; p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age was 61.8 ± 10.9 years, and 102 (68.0%) were male. The most common histological type was NSCLC 117 (78.0%). Persistent cough 111 (74.0%), weight loss 71 (60.7%), dyspnea 88 (58.7%), fatigue 83 (55.3%), and chest pain 79 (52.7%) were common. Overall, 97 (64.7%) had stage III-IV disease and 58(38.7%) had metastasis. Independent predictors were ECOG ≥2 (AOR=3.36; 95% CI: 1.63–6.94; p=0.001), current/former smoking (AOR=2.94; 95% CI: 1.39–6.23; p=0.005), SCLC (AOR=2.47; 95% CI: 1.08–5.64; p=0.032) weight loss (AOR=2.28; 95% CI: 1.15–4.50; p=0.018), and dyspnea (AOR=2.11; 95% CI: 1.05–4.22; p=0.035. Conclusion: Timely lung cancer diagnosis may be facilitated by early symptom recognition, risk-based referral, and comprehensive staging. These predictors require validation to assess their impact on early detection and treatment planning in future studies.