Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1998 Jun;77(11):2053–2057. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1998.342

Divergent changes in survival for histological types of non-small-cell lung cancer in the southeastern area of The Netherlands since 1975.

M L Janssen-Heijnen 1, R M Schipper 1, P J Klinkhamer 1, M A Crommelin 1, W J Mooi 1, J W Coebergh 1
PMCID: PMC2150361  PMID: 9667692

Abstract

We studied the incidence and survival rates for the histological subtypes of non-small-cell lung cancer, using data from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry over the period 1975-94. The proportions with adenocarcinoma and large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma increased from 11% to 21% and from 11% to 15%, respectively, while those with squamous cell carcinoma decreased from 78% to 62%. The increase in the proportion with adenocarcinoma was only found among men. Although the overall prognosis for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer has remained unchanged, there have been divergent changes between morphological subtypes. Relative 1- and 5-year survival rates for squamous cell carcinoma have improved slightly from 48% to 51% and from 14% to 16%, respectively, because of an increase in the proportion with localized tumours, while relative 1- and 5-year survival rates for adenocarcinoma have decreased from 59% to 45% and from 28% to 18%, respectively, because of a decrease in localized tumours. The proportion with localized tumours and the relative 1-year survival for large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma (about 18% and 30% respectively) were markedly lower. The divergent trends could partly be explained by changes in the histological classification of tumours, but changes in patterns of risk and biological behaviour of adenocarcinoma cannot be excluded.

Full text

PDF
2053

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barkley J. E., Green M. R. Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 1996 Aug;14(8):2377–2386. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1996.14.8.2377. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barsky S. H., Cameron R., Osann K. E., Tomita D., Holmes E. C. Rising incidence of bronchioloalveolar lung carcinoma and its unique clinicopathologic features. Cancer. 1994 Feb 15;73(4):1163–1170. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19940215)73:4<1163::aid-cncr2820730407>3.0.co;2-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clerici M., Panvini D., Torri V., Colombo F., Luporini G., Tinazzi A., Nicolucci A., Marsoni S. Patterns of care and survival in non small cell lung cancer: 15 years' experience in a general hospital. Tumori. 1994 Apr 30;80(2):106–112. doi: 10.1177/030089169408000204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Connolly C. K., Jones W. G., Thorogood J., Head C., Muers M. F. Investigation, treatment and prognosis of bronchial carcinoma in the Yorkshire Region of England 1976-1983. Br J Cancer. 1990 Apr;61(4):579–583. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1990.130. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crawford S. M., Atherton F. Lung cancer: histological aspects of diagnosis in England and the south east Netherlands. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1994 Aug;48(4):420–421. doi: 10.1136/jech.48.4.420. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dodds L., Davis S., Polissar L. A population-based study of lung cancer incidence trends by histologic type, 1974-81. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1986 Jan;76(1):21–29. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gazdar A. F., Linnoila R. I. The pathology of lung cancer--changing concepts and newer diagnostic techniques. Semin Oncol. 1988 Jun;15(3):215–225. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hakulinen T., Abeywickrama K. H. A computer program package for relative survival analysis. Comput Programs Biomed. 1985;19(2-3):197–207. doi: 10.1016/0010-468x(85)90011-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hilsenbeck S. G., Raub W. A., Jr, Sridhar K. S. Prognostic factors in lung cancer based on multivariate analysis. Am J Clin Oncol. 1993 Aug;16(4):301–309. doi: 10.1097/00000421-199308000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Humphrey E. W., Smart C. R., Winchester D. P., Steele G. D., Jr, Yarbro J. W., Chu K. C., Triolo H. H. National survey of the pattern of care for carcinoma of the lung. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1990 Dec;100(6):837–843. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Janssen-Heijnen M. L., Nab H. W., van Reek J., van der Heijden L. H., Schipper R., Coebergh J. W. Striking changes in smoking behaviour and lung cancer incidence by histological type in south-east Netherlands, 1960-1991. Eur J Cancer. 1995 Jun;31A(6):949–952. doi: 10.1016/0959-8049(94)00519-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Levi F., Franceschi S., La Vecchia C., Randimbison L., Te V. C. Lung carcinoma trends by histologic type in Vaud and Neuchâtel, Switzerland, 1974-1994. Cancer. 1997 Mar 1;79(5):906–914. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970301)79:5<906::aid-cncr6>3.0.co;2-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Morabia A., Wynder E. L. Cigarette smoking and lung cancer cell types. Cancer. 1991 Nov 1;68(9):2074–2078. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19911101)68:9<2074::aid-cncr2820680939>3.0.co;2-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pantel K., Izbicki J., Passlick B., Angstwurm M., Häussinger K., Thetter O., Riethmüller G. Frequency and prognostic significance of isolated tumour cells in bone marrow of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer without overt metastases. Lancet. 1996 Mar 9;347(9002):649–653. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(96)91203-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Patients presenting with lung cancer in south east Scotland. Edinburgh Lung Cancer Group. Thorax. 1987 Nov;42(11):853–857. doi: 10.1136/thx.42.11.853. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Russo A., Crosignani P., Franceschi S., Berrino F. Changes in lung cancer histological types in Varese Cancer Registry, Italy 1976-1992. Eur J Cancer. 1997 Sep;33(10):1643–1647. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(97)00115-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sant M., Gatta G., Capocaccia R., Verdecchia A., Micheli A., Speciale D., Pastorino U., Berrino F. Survival for lung cancer in northern Italy. Cancer Causes Control. 1992 May;3(3):223–230. doi: 10.1007/BF00124255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Schouten L. J., Höppener P., van den Brandt P. A., Knottnerus J. A., Jager J. J. Completeness of cancer registration in Limburg, The Netherlands. Int J Epidemiol. 1993 Jun;22(3):369–376. doi: 10.1093/ije/22.3.369. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Thun M. J., Lally C. A., Flannery J. T., Calle E. E., Flanders W. D., Heath C. W., Jr Cigarette smoking and changes in the histopathology of lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1997 Nov 5;89(21):1580–1586. doi: 10.1093/jnci/89.21.1580. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Travis W. D., Lubin J., Ries L., Devesa S. United States lung carcinoma incidence trends: declining for most histologic types among males, increasing among females. Cancer. 1996 Jun 15;77(12):2464–2470. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(19960615)77:12<2464::AID-CNCR8>3.0.CO;2-M. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Travis W. D., Travis L. B., Devesa S. S. Lung cancer. Cancer. 1995 Jan 1;75(1 Suppl):191–202. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19950101)75:1+<191::aid-cncr2820751307>3.0.co;2-y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wu A. H., Henderson B. E., Thomas D. C., Mack T. M. Secular trends in histologic types of lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1986 Jul;77(1):53–56. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zheng T., Holford T. R., Boyle P., Chen Y., Ward B. A., Flannery J., Mayne S. T. Time trend and the age-period-cohort effect on the incidence of histologic types of lung cancer in Connecticut, 1960-1989. Cancer. 1994 Sep 1;74(5):1556–1567. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19940901)74:5<1556::aid-cncr2820740511>3.0.co;2-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES