Related Experiment Videos
Changes in clinical presentation and staging of lung cancer over two decades
Virginia Leiro-Fernández1, Cecilia Mouronte-Roibás1, Cristina Ramos-Hernández1
1Servicio de Neumología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo (CHUVI), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Vigo (IBIV), Vigo, España.
Introduction:
Important clinical and epidemiological changes have been observed in lung cancer (LC) in our healthcare area compared to the previous decade. In the last 10 years, specific LC care circuits have been implemented and the active search for cases has been stepped up. The aim of this study was to analyze the progress of these changes over the last 20 years.
Methods:
This is a retrospective study comparing clinical and epidemiological changes between 2 historical cohorts of LC patients (1992-1994 [group 1, 164 patients] and 2004-2006 [group 2, 250 patients]) and a current group from the period 2011-2012 (group 3, 209 patients)
Results:
Two hundred and nine (209) LC patients were included in group 3 (2011-2012 period). After comparing groups 3 and 2, a non-significant rise in smoking was observed in women (59% vs 41%, p=.25), while the prevalence of adenocarcinoma was unchanged (45% vs 44%, p=.9). The main changes observed were the increase in cases with previous malignancies (23% vs 16%, p=.04), the rise in patients with no associated LC symptoms (33% vs 16%, p<.001), and an increased number of localized NSCLC (non-small cell LC) diagnoses (42% vs 24% in series 2, p<.001 and 14.2% in series 1, p<.001).
Conclusions:
The number of LC patients diagnosed in localized stages has increased significantly. Furthermore, the number of patients with no symptoms associated with LC and with a history of previous malignancy were significantly increased.
Related Concept Videos
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...