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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
05:22
Systematic Endobronchial Ultrasound - The Six Landmarks Approach
Published on: August 11, 2023
[Cavernous bronchus carcinoma]
Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift
|September 13, 1986
Summary
Cancerous lung cavities are increasingly common in thoracic surgery patients, replacing tuberculosis as a primary cause. While the appearance of these cavities varies, their presence does not affect the overall prognosis, which depends solely on the cancer
Area of Science:
- Thoracic Surgery
- Oncology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- The etiology of cavities in thoracic surgery patients has shifted significantly over the past two decades.
- Cavernous tuberculosis requiring surgery is now rare, with cancerous origins becoming more prevalent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence and characteristics of cavitated bronchogenic carcinomas.
- To evaluate the impact of tumor cavitation on patient prognosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 225 bronchogenic carcinoma resections performed between 1977 and 1985.
- Radiological assessment of cavity formation and characteristics.
- Correlation of cavitation with tumor stage and patient outcomes.
Main Results:
- 24 out of 225 resected bronchogenic carcinomas (10.7%) exhibited cavitation.
- Radiological findings ranged from small air collections to large, thick-walled caverns.
- Cavitation results from necrobiotic changes within the tumor, occurring when tumor masses penetrate the bronchial tree and are expectorated.
Conclusions:
- Cavitation in bronchogenic carcinoma is an increasingly recognized entity.
- The development of cavities within lung cancer does not appear to independently influence prognosis.
- Prognosis remains strictly dependent on the overall stage of the tumor at diagnosis and treatment.
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