Skip to main content
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1993 Apr;48(4):344–346. doi: 10.1136/thx.48.4.344

Synchronous primary lung cancers: prevalence in surgical material and clinical implications.

F A Carey 1, S C Donnelly 1, W S Walker 1, E W Cameron 1, D Lamb 1
PMCID: PMC464430  PMID: 8390108

Abstract

BACKGROUND--The prevalence of synchronous primary lung neoplasms in surgical resection specimens was assessed. The associated clinical features and prognostic implications were investigated. METHODS--All surgical resections for lung cancer performed during seven years were reviewed. Synchronous tumours were defined by the presence of more than one tumour mass in the lung, by differences in histological subtype, by the presence of separate bronchial origins, or by differences in DNA stemlines. Clinical data were abstracted from case notes and information from the tumour registry. RESULTS--Just under 2% of all surgical specimens in the study period contained more than one primary carcinoma. The patients did not differ clinically from the general population of patients having surgery for lung cancer. The overall prognosis was poor (mean survival 27 months) but was significantly better for patients with synchronous squamous carcinomas (mean survival 49 months). CONCLUSION--Synchronous primary lung carcinomas are associated with a poor prognosis except in patients having tumours only of squamous histological type.

Full text

PDF
344

Selected References

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

  1. Banner B. F., Brancazio L., Bahnson R. R., Ernstoff M. S., Taylor S. R. DNA analysis of multiple synchronous renal cell carcinomas. Cancer. 1990 Nov 15;66(10):2180–2185. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19901115)66:10<2180::aid-cncr2820661023>3.0.co;2-i. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bauer W. C., McGavran M. H. Carcinoma in situ and evaluation of epithelial changes in laryngopharyngeal biopsies. JAMA. 1972 Jul 3;221(1):72–75. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Caceres J., Felson B. Double primary carcinomas of the lung. Radiology. 1972 Jan;102(1):45–50. doi: 10.1148/102.1.45. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Carey F. A., Lamb D., Bird C. C. Importance of sampling method in DNA analysis of lung cancer. J Clin Pathol. 1990 Oct;43(10):820–823. doi: 10.1136/jcp.43.10.820. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Deschamps C., Pairolero P. C., Trastek V. F., Payne W. S. Multiple primary lung cancers. Results of surgical treatment. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1990 May;99(5):769–778. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hedley D. W., Friedlander M. L., Taylor I. W., Rugg C. A., Musgrove E. A. Method for analysis of cellular DNA content of paraffin-embedded pathological material using flow cytometry. J Histochem Cytochem. 1983 Nov;31(11):1333–1335. doi: 10.1177/31.11.6619538. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ichinose Y., Hara N., Ohta M., Kuda T., Asoh H., Chikama H. DNA ploidy patterns of tumors diagnosed as metachronous or recurrent lung cancers. Ann Thorac Surg. 1991 Sep;52(3):469–473. doi: 10.1016/0003-4975(91)90907-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ichinose Y., Hara N., Ohta M. Synchronous lung cancers defined by deoxyribonucleic acid flow cytometry. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1991 Sep;102(3):418–424. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jung-Legg Y., McGowan S. E., Sweeney K. G., Zitzman J. L., Pugatch R. D. Synchronous triple malignant tumors of the lung. A case report of bronchial carcinoid, small cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma of the right lung. Am J Clin Pathol. 1986 Jan;85(1):96–101. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/85.1.96. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kakizoe T., Matumoto K., Nishio Y., Ohtani M., Kishi K. Significance of carcinoma in situ and dysplasia in association with bladder cancer. J Urol. 1985 Mar;133(3):395–398. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)48994-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Martini N., Melamed M. R. Multiple primary lung cancers. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1975 Oct;70(4):606–612. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Smith R. A., Nigam B. K., Thompson J. M. Second primary lung carcinoma. Thorax. 1976 Oct;31(5):507–516. doi: 10.1136/thx.31.5.507. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. van Bodegom P. C., Wagenaar S. S., Corrin B., Baak J. P., Berkel J., Vanderschueren R. G. Second primary lung cancer: importance of long term follow up. Thorax. 1989 Oct;44(10):788–793. doi: 10.1136/thx.44.10.788. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES