[Detection of patients with lung cancer in a tuberculosis hospital]

For the period from 1985 to 1987 lung cancer (LC) was verified in 165 cases. High oncologic concern of the hospital doctors is explained by the fact that 92% of the patients were suspected to have LC during the first 3 days of their examination, and by the end of the 2nd week it was verified in 74.6% of them. On the average, LC diagnosis took 15.6 days. The period of LC diagnosis depends primarily on the method of producing reliable symptoms: it is minimum (7-8 days) when tumoral cells are found in sputum and exudate, and it is maximum (33 days) when diagnostic thoracotomy is done. 49.5% of the patients apply for medical care 3 to 12 months after their clinical symptoms. At the same time 67.9% of the cases examined are associated with false results that lead to their late referral to a diagnostic unit.