Retrospective cohort study of multimodal assessment of biological age following radiation therapy among patients with early-stage NSCLC

Accurately estimating physiological fitness and life expectancy is challinging in older patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considered for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Noninvasive biological age metrics may improve assesment beyond chronological age. A multicenter retrospective cohort study evaluated whether a photography-based age estimating algorithm (face age) and a spirometry-based estimated age (lung age) are associated with overall survival and early mortality following SBRT for early-stage NSCLC in patients aged 60 years or older. In this study of 670 patients, face age was significantly associated with overall survival and 2–year mortality, whereas chronological age was not independently associated. Lung age showed minimal correlation with face age, suggesting that these biomarkers capture distinct physiological domains. The authors conclude that these results suggest that easily obtained biological age measures from routine photographs and spirometry may help personalize SBRT decision-making for older patients with early-stage NSCLC.