[Bronchoalveolar carcinoma, its diagnosis, therapy and prognosis]

The authors give an account of 18 patients with morphologically confirmed bronchioalveolar carcinoma, hospitalized at the First Clinic for TB and Respiratory Diseases in 1969-1988. Women predominated in the group at a ratio of 2:1, mean age: women 46.5 years, men 63.5 years. In the family-history of six patients a malignant tumour of the digestive tract was recorded. The symptomatology of the disease did not differ from other bronchogenic carcinomas. As to X-ray forms large-node carcinoma was most frequent (8x), there were equal numbers (5x) of pneumonic and disseminated carcinomas. The diagnosis of the disease is difficult. In eight instances it was made only after examination of the resected portion. In disseminated forms a high yield was obtained by open pulmonary biopsy, needle aspiration of the lungs. A small yield was obtained by bronchological examination and examination of sputum. The most favourable prognosis was recorded after resection where from a total of nine patients two survive (19 and 4 years), the remaining 7 patients survived for a mean period of seven years. Patients treated by chemotherapy survive for six months, those with actinotherapy and symptomatic treatment for 11 months.