[Surgical treatment of the second primary lung cancer]

1168 patients with primary carcinoma of lung had been treated by surgery in our hospital from 1976 to 1985. Among these patients we found 7 patients with second primary lung cancer. The incidence is 0.6% in this series. The criteria of the second primary lung cancer are: different histological type; synchronous lesion located in the contralateral lung or in different lobes or segments of the ipsilateral lung which must all be stage I; or prolonged interval between the initial and second resection (metachronous lesions), but the initial lesion must be proved as stage I. Lobectomy was the most common procedure for the initial and second resections. The result of the treatment was satisfactory with one patients surviving 6 years and 6 months. There was no operative mortality or complications. We consider that careful diagnosis is important and continued follow-up is necessary for all bronchogenic carcinomas.