Additional Variables
Variables examined in this study also included patient demographics (age, height, weight, sex, past medical history), cancer characteristics (diagnosis, sites of disease, staging, relapse history), treatment history (chemotherapy agents, dates and dosage, radiation fields and dosage, bone marrow transplant or thoracic surgery). Side effects of therapy with the potential to affect measured pulmonary function such as pneumonitis and allergic reactions, and hospital inpatient admissions and emergency department visits of a respiratory cause (e.g. pneumonia, atelectasis) were also captured. Data were collected retrospectively from 30 days prior to patient diagnosis from medical records at CHEO, including local hospital health administrative data for health care visit dates.