Renal insufficiency and/or chronic kidney disease are common comorbidities in patients with lung cancer, potentially affecting their prognosis. The aim of the present study was to assess the existing evidence on the association between renal insufficiency (RI)/chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the overall survival (OS) and disease‑free survival (DFS) of patients with lung cancer (LC). Comprehensive electronic searches in the PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases were performed for observational cohort and case‑control studies and randomized controlled trials that investigated the association between RI/CKD and the OS and/or DFS of patients with LC. Random‑effect models were used, and the combined effect sizes were reported as either standardized mean differences or relative risks, along with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 10 studies were included. The duration of follow‑up in the included studies ranged from 12 months to 5 years. Compared with patients with normal renal function, patients with LC with RI/CKD had worse OS rates [hazard ratio (HR), 1.38; 95% CI, 1.16‑1.63] but similar DFS rates (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.75‑1.67) at follow‑up. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant association between poor OS and RI/CKD in patients with stage I/II LC [HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.30‑2.37] but not in patients with stage III/IV LC [HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.91, 1.54]. Furthermore, irrespective of the treatment modality i.e., surgery [HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.40‑2.27] or medical management [HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.25‑1.50], RI/CKD was notably associated with a poor OS at follow‑up. The findings of the present study underscore the adverse impact of RI/CKD on the long‑term survival of patients with LC.

Related Articles