Skip to main content
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1980 Jul;35(7):496–499. doi: 10.1136/thx.35.7.496

Cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and lung cancer.

M Turner-Warwick, M Lebowitz, B Burrows, A Johnson
PMCID: PMC471320  PMID: 7434310

Abstract

Lung cancer was found in 20 (9.8%) of 205 patients with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA) or 12.9% of the 155 patients in this series followed to death. An excess relative risk of lung cancer of 14.1 was found in patients with CFA compared to the general population of comparable age and sex, allowing for the lengths of follow-up of the CFA patients. The relative risk for male smokers was (observed/expected) 15+1.06 = 14.2, and for female smokers (O/E) 2/0.3 = 6.7. Only one male and one female non-smoker had lung cancer. These data suggest that there is an excess risk of lung cancer not wholly accounted for by age, sex, or smoking habit. The distribution of histological types was not obviously different from that found in lung cancer without pulmonary fibrosis. Large opacities suggestive of lung cancer were present at the time of first hospital attendance for symptoms relating to CFA in four of the 20 patients. Finger clubbing was present in 19 (95%) compared with 116/185 (63%) of those so far not developing cancer. There were no other clinical differences at presentation. In particular, cancer was not found especially in those with longer survival from the onset of symptoms of CFA or with a greater initial radiographic change.

Full text

PDF
496

Selected References

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

  1. Berry G., Newhouse M. L., Turok M. Combined effect of asbestos exposure and smoking on mortality from lung cancer in factory workers. Lancet. 1972 Sep 2;2(7775):476–478. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)91867-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dreisin R. B., Schwarz M. I., Theofilopoulos A. N., Stanford R. E. Circulating immune complexes in the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. N Engl J Med. 1978 Feb 16;298(7):353–357. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197802162980701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Jones A. W. Alveolar cell carcinoma occurring in idiopathic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Br J Dis Chest. 1970 Apr;64(2):78–84. doi: 10.1016/s0007-0971(70)80032-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Pierce R., Turner-Warwick M. Skin tests with tuberculin (PPD) Candida albicans and Trichophyton spp. in cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and asbestos related lung disease. Clin Allergy. 1980 Mar;10(2):229–237. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1980.tb02101.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. RICHARDS R. L., MILNE J. A. Cancer of the lung in progressive systemic sclerosis. Thorax. 1958 Sep;13(3):238–245. doi: 10.1136/thx.13.3.238. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. SELIKOFF I. J., CHURG J., HAMMOND E. C. ASBESTOS EXPOSURE AND NEOPLASIA. JAMA. 1964 Apr 6;188:22–26. doi: 10.1001/jama.1964.03060270028006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Stack B. H., Choo-Kang Y. F., Heard B. E. The prognosis of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. Thorax. 1972 Sep;27(5):535–542. doi: 10.1136/thx.27.5.535. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Turner-Warwick M., Haslam P. Antibodies in some chronic fibrosing lung diseases. I. Non organ-specific autoantibodies. Clin Allergy. 1971 Mar;1(1):83–95. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1971.tb02450.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES