[Lung cancer in patients with chronic renal failure]

We evaluated the clinical characteristics of 18 patients with lung cancer complicated by chronic renal failure at our department between November 1983 and September 2004. The 18 patients consisted of 17 men and 1 woman aged 60-81 years (mean, 70 years). Fifteen patients had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and 3 had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The stage of NSCLC was I in 7 patients, II in 2, and IV in 6. The stage of SCLC was localized disease (LD) in 2 patients and extensive disease (ED) in 1. The lung cancer was often detected due to symptoms such as cough and bloody sputum. Concerning treatment, surgery was mainly selected in patients with stage I NSCLC, but radiotherapy alone was often performed due to the wishes of patients in those with stage III or IV NSCLC. The outcome of patients who underwent chemotherapy with stage III or IV NSCLC was similar to patients with lung cancer not complicated by renal failure. In lung cancer patients with chronic renal failure, new hepatic excretion type anti-cancer drugs can be also used, but further evaluation is necessary.