Associations Between Morphological Phenotypes of COPD and Clinical Characteristics in Surgically Resected Patients with COPD and Concomitant Lung Cancer

Purpose: The associations between morphological phenotypes of COPD based on the chest computed tomography (CT) findings and clinical characteristics in surgically resected patients with COPD and concomitant lung cancer are unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis among morphological phenotypes based on the chest CT findings in these patients.

Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 132 patients with COPD and concomitant lung cancer who had undergone pulmonary resection for primary lung cancer. According to the presence of emphysema and bronchial wall thickness on chest CT, patients were classified into three phenotypes: non-emphysema phenotype, emphysema phenotype, or mixed phenotype.

Results: The mixed phenotype was associated with poorer performance status, higher score on the modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, higher residual volume in pulmonary function, and higher proportion of squamous cell carcinoma than the other phenotypes. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses showed that the extent of emphysema on chest CT, presented as a low attenuation area (LAA) score, was an independent determinant that predicted prognosis. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the Log rank test showed significant differences in survival between the non-emphysema and mixed phenotypes, and between the emphysema and mixed phenotypes.

Conclusion: The cross-sectional pre-operative LAA score can predict the prognosis in surgically resected patients with COPD and concomitant lung cancer. The COPD phenotype with both emphysema and bronchial wall thickness on chest CT was associated with poorer performance status, greater extent of dyspnea, greater impairment of pulmonary function, and worse prognosis.