Neodymium yttrium-aluminium-garnet laser resection significantly improves quality of life in patients with malignant central airway obstruction due to lung cancer

• Published in: European journal of cancer care Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 560 - 566
• Main Authors: Zaric, B., Kovacevic, T., Stojsic, V., Sarcev, T., Kocic, M., Urosevic, M., Kalem, D., Perin, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2015; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - complications; Adenocarcinoma - surgery; Airway Obstruction - etiology; Airway Obstruction - surgery; Aluminum - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - complications; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery; EORTC QLQ-C30; Female; Humans; interventional pulmonology; Laser Therapy - methods; Lasers, Solid-State - therapeutic use; lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - complications; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Nd : YAG laser resection; Neodymium - therapeutic use; Nursing; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Treatment Outcome; Yttrium - therapeutic use; lung cancer; quality of life; interventional pulmonology; EORTC QLQ-C30; Nd : YAG laser resection
• ISSN: 0961-5423; 1365-2354
• DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12256

Neodymium yttrium‐aluminium‐garnet (Nd : YAG) laser resection is one of the mostly used interventional pulmonology techniques for urgent desobstruction of malignant central airway obstruction (CAO). The major aim of this trial was to evaluate potential influence of Nd : YAG laser resection on overall quality of life (QoL) in patients with central lung cancer. Patients with malignant CAO scheduled for Nd : YAG laser resection were prospectively recruited in the trial. All patients were given European Organization for Research and Treatment, Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ‐30 v.3) before the procedure and approximately 2 weeks after the treatment. There were 37 male and 10 female patients, average age 54 ± 10 years. Most common tumour type was adenocarcinoma diagnosed in 51% of patients. Majority of patients were diagnosed in stage IIIB (53.2%) and stage IV (25.5%). Most common Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was 1 (72.3%). Nd : YAG laser resection significantly improved (P < 0.0001) QoL and overall health according to EORTC QLQ‐30. However, in some of the questions dealing with nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, family life, social activities and financial situation, we did not observe statistically significant improvement. Nd : YAG laser resection of malignant CAO significantly improves QoL and overall health in patients with lung cancer.