Pathological factors in survival of lung tumours: local extent, size, and nodal involvement

The pathological features, particularly local extent, size, and nodal involvement, of 405 surgical specimens of human lung carcinomas were studied. A direct relationship was found between local extent and size of the tumour and between local extent and the incidence of lymph node metastasis, but not between tumour size and the incidence of lymph node metastasis. The survival rates in the 405 tumours were calculated with the actuarial method in relation to the 3 pathological factors: local extent, lymph node metastasis and tumour size showed a predictive value in prognosis of lung tumours. Their prognostic value, however, was much more meaningful when the three pathological factors were considered in relation to each other. As a matter of fact, the size of the tumour showed no predictive value when lymph node metastasis was present. On the ground of the mutual influence of the 3 factors in affecting prognosis a pathological stage-grouping of lung tumours has been suggested.