ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a syndrome affecting primarily older adults that can impact disease course, treatment, and outcomes in patients with lung cancer (LC). We systematically reviewed current data on the correlation between frailty and overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the risk of complications in older patients with LC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were searched for observational cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies involving participants aged 18 years or older diagnosed with LC. Eligible studies were required to perform frailty assessments and have non-frail participants as a comparator group. Random-effects models were used for analysis, and the reported effect sizes were represented as hazards ratio (HR) or odds ratios (OR) with associated 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included, most with a retrospective cohort design (n = 16) and patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Older patients with LC and frailty had lower OS (HR 1.70, 95% CI: 1.39, 2.07) and RFS (HR 2.50, 95% CI: 1.02, 6.12), compared to non-frail subjects. Frail subjects also had increased risk of complications (OR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.42, 2.53). DISCUSSION: The observed association between frailty and OS, RFS, and an increased susceptibility to complications emphasizes the potential significance of frailty status as a substantial prognostic indicator. Our results underscore the vital role of including frailty assessment as an integral element within the management plan for patients dealing with lung cancer.
ABSTRACT
Electro-spinning/netting (ESN) as a cutting-edge technique evokes much interest because of its ability in the one-step preparation of versatile nano-fiber/net (NFN) membranes. Here, a controllable fabrication of polyurethane (PU) NFN membranes with attractive structures, consisting of common electrospun nanofibers and two-dimensional (2D) soap bubble-like structured nano-nets via an ESN process is reported. The unique nanoscaled NFN architecture can be finely controlled by regulating the solution properties and several ESN process parameters. The versatile PU nano-nets comprising interlinked nanowires with ultrathin diameters (5-40 nm) mean that the NFN structured membranes possess several excellent characteristics, such as an extremely large specific surface area, high porosity and large stacking density, which would be particularly useful for applications in ultrafiltration, special protective clothing, ultrasensitive sensors, catalyst support and so on.
