Histological types and age distribution of lung cancer operated patients over a 20-year period: a pathohistological...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from malignancy in Serbia.

This is a retrospective analysis of lung cancer epidemiological changes regarding to its histological type and patients' age of both genders. Data were based on surgically treated lung cancer patients from 1985 to 2005.

Data were collected from 972 pathohistological reports of operated patients of both genders divided into age groups. Histological types of lung cancer were distributed in four major groups: squamous cell cancer (SCC), adenocarcinoma (AC), small cell cancer (SCLC) and other rare histological types. Both genders together and separately were analysed. Chi-square with the level of significance p<0.05 and chi-square test for trends were used as statistical methods.

SCC predominated in both genders; in 44.7% females and 68.0% males. AC was less frequently diagnosed (21.8%) than SCC (64.0%) in both genders and all age groups. The most frequently operated patients were aged between 51 and 60 years (36.6%) with SCC and AC predominance. Three patients with SCLC were operated in 61-70 age-group. In age-group up to 30 years, three (0.5%) patients were operated on for SCC and other rare lung tumours, respectively. Predominance of other rare lung tumours was established in 51-60 age-group, 25% of patients of both genders.

SCC is the most frequent histological type of lung cancer found in all age groups and in both genders of surgically treated patients.