Endocrine and metabolic disordes in bronchial carcinoma

In an unselected series of 185 patients with histologically confirmed bronchial carcinoma 16 had endocrine disturbances attributable to the tumour (excluding pulmonary osteoarthropathy). Of these, 11 patients had hypercalcaemia; three inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone; one Cushing's disease; three hypertrophic osteoarthropathy; and one gynaecomastia. Cushing's disease and inappropriate antidiuresis are specifically associated with oat-cell tumours, and hypercalcaemia occurs most frequently with squamous carcinoma. A negative correlation exists between gynaecomastia and osteoarthropathy on the one hand and oat-cell carcinoma on the other.