[Diagnosis and treatment of multiple primary bronchogenic carcinoma]

From 1974 to 1983, 4 patients with multiple primary bronchogenic carcinoma were treated. It comprised 0.64% (4/622) of all lung cancers admitted to our hospital during the same period. Out of these 4 patients, 2 were synchronous and 2 were metachronous. 3 were bilateral, the other was unilateral. 3 were preoperatively misdiagnosed as pulmonary metastases and the fourth case was confirmed only postoperatively. The common pathologic combination was squamous carcinoma and squamous carcinoma. Two patients with synchronous cancers survived for 15 and 42 months after the operation. Two with metachronous cancers are living up to now (for more than four years) after the second cancer had been removed. The diagnosis and treatment of this cancer are discussed. The authors believe that the survival rate may be increased by early diagnosis and prompt operation.