Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of studied groups.
| NSCLC | COPD | Controls | Smokers | |
| Subjects (n°) | 36 | 25 | 50 | 35 |
| Age (median, years) | 67.2 | 70.2 | 55.7 | 54.1 |
| Sex (male/female) | 28/8 | 18/7 | 27/23 | 30/5 |
| Current smokers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 35 |
| Ex smokers | 28 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Ever smokers | 6 | 3 | 50 | 0 |
| *Pack-years | 20 | 20 | n.a. | 25 ± 2.6 |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 69.8 ± 15.2 | 61.7 ± 13.4 | 105.6 ± 9.1 | 101.8 ± 10.2 |
The ex-smokers subjects had stopped smoking for at least one year. * Pack-years (mean ± SD) among current smokers. NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; n.a. = not applicable.