Table 3.

Prognostic factors for symptom improvement

Univariate analysis
Variable	Hazard ratio	95% CI	P‐value
Medical center (GNUH vs. GNUCH)	0.873	0.333–2.290	0.782
Sex (Male vs. Female)	0.662	0.211–2.073	0.479
Age (<68 vs. ≥68 years)	1.029	0.943–1.124	0.518
Smoking (No vs. Yes)	1.276	0.503–3.237	0.609
COPD (No vs. Yes)	1.509	0.465–4.899	0.494
Pathology (NSCLC vs. SCLC)	3.086	0.996–9.561	0.051
Dyspnea level before RT (2–3 vs. 4)	1.084	0.548–2.144	0.816
Carina involvement (No vs. Yes)	0.543	0.212–1.392	0.204
ECOG PS (0–2 vs. 3)	0.156	0.044–0.555	0.004
DS status (untreated vs. relapse or refractory)	0.296	0.096–0.915	0.034
Degree of obstruction (partial vs. total)	0.344	0.118–1.004	0.051
Tumor length (<5.6 vs. ≥5.6 cm)	0.160	0.052–0.494	0.001
EQD2 (<42.2 vs. ≥42.2 Gy)	3.791	1.411–10.188	0.008
Time to RT (≤14 vs. >14 days)	0.289	0.108–0.774	0.014
Multivariate analysis
Variable	Hazard ratio	95% CI	P value
EQD2 (<42.2 vs. ≥42.2 Gy)	5.704	1.457–22.340	0.012
Time to RT (≤14 vs. >14 days)	0.141	0.034–0.587	0.007

Significant values are shown in bold.

CI, confidence interval; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DS, disease; ECOS, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; EQD2, equivalent dose in 2 Gy per fraction.; GNUCH, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital; GNUH, Gyeongsang National University Hospital; NSCLC, non‐small cell lung cancer; PS, performance status; RT, radiotherapy; SCLC, small cell lung cancer.