exudates and Carcinoma--Large-Cell

A comparison of patients with lung cancer diagnosed at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from October 1991 to September 1999 with another group of lung cancer patients diagnosed at the same hospital during an earlier period of 1967-1976 was undertaken to determine whether there had been a change in the distribution of lung cancer cell types and patient demography. The number of histologically and/or cytologically proven lung cancer cases was 583 from October 1991 to September 1999 and 278 from 1967 to 1976. The mean (S.D.) age of the patients during the period 1991-1999, 60.1 (12.0) years was similar to that of patients during the period 1967-1976, 60.3 (12.2) years. There was no shift of the peak age distribution of lung cancer (i.e., the 7th decade) between the two periods. In the recent period, the percentage of patients with adenocarcinoma had increased significantly to 43.2% from 25.2% while that of large cell carcinoma had decreased to 3.3% from 11.9%. The percentages of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and small cell lung cancer remained stable. In the period 1967-1976, SCC was the commonest cell type in men and in smokers while adenocarcinoma was the commonest cell type in women and in never smokers. In the period 1991-1999, adenocarcinoma was the commonest cell type in both men and women as well as in smokers and never smokers.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Large Cell; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Demography; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Hospitals, University; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Smoking

This study aimed to determine whether the clinicopathological features of lung cancer in patients younger than 40 years differ from that of older patients in an Asian country.. We undertook a review of the clinicopathological data of all patients with confirmed primary lung cancer at the Department of Medicine, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 1991 to September 1999.. Of the 580 patients with lung cancer, 36 (6.2%; 23 males, 13 females) were 21-39 years old at diagnosis. The percentage of people who had never smoked was higher among the younger patients (58.3% vs 19.1%, P < 0.001). Although adenocarcinoma was the most common cell type in both groups, its incidence was higher in the younger patients (24/36 (66.7%) vs 228/544 (41.9%), P = 0.007). The mean World Health Organization performance status at presentation was worse in the younger patients (2.4 vs 2, P = 0.007). In the case of non-small cell lung cancer, all the younger patients presented with either stage IIIb or metastatic disease compared to 77.2% of the older patients (P < 0.001).. Younger lung cancer patients were more likely than older patients to have never smoked, to have adenocarcinoma, and to present with poorer performance status and with more advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Large Cell; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Population Surveillance; Prospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Smoking