1736P - Young adult lung cancer demands more attention in a low-resource area: Bangladesh perspective

Background

Young adult lung cancer's socioeconomic and clinical implications make it a unique disease. However, in Bangladesh, the status and features of early-onset lung cancer are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the socio-demographic status and clinical characteristics of lung cancer in young adults in Bangladesh.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients with lung cancer was performed in our institute from January 2018 and December 2022. Young adults were defined as individuals between 18 and 45 years old. Demographic, clinicopathological and prognostic data were systematically analysed.

Results

Of the 6310 patients, 819 (12.98%) were young adults, and 780 were included in this study. The average age of young adult lung cancer patients was 38.92 years, and the average BMI was 20.46. Of all adult lung cancer patients, 29.49% were female, 58.97% were illiterate, and 87.56% had poor or below-average economic status. Among young adults, 23.08% did not use tobacco, while 41.41% had more than one tobacco-related habit. 33.52% of young patients with right-sided dominant lung cancer had a previous respiratory disease. At the time of presentation, 43.85% of patients had a score of ≥2 on the ECOG scale, and 33.52% had comorbidities, with hypertension being the most frequent (37.36%) and DM (33%) being the second most common. Adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent subtype (58.97%), followed by squamous (24.74%), small cell varieties with undifferentiated (14.74%), and others like sarcoma and mesothelioma. Stage 4 was diagnosed in 28.46% of patients, and the most frequent metastatic site was the lung (14.42%), followed by the pleura (12.5%) and the liver (11.06%). Young lung cancer patients in Bangladesh significantly differed from older adults regarding higher BMI, lower education, more female patients, fewer tobacco users, adenocarcinoma, and different metastatic sites (p 0.05).

Conclusions

The high prevalence of young adult lung cancer in Bangladesh necessitates specialized attention to this vulnerable group during treatment. These patients face unique challenges, making the management of their cancer complex and resulting in poor outcomes. A personalized and comprehensive approach is essential to manage young lung cancer effectively.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.