Psychosocial factors and smoking as risk factors in lung carcinoma

In a retrospective study as part of a larger study 419 male patients with bronchial carcinoma were questioned by means of a 'biographical questionnaire' concerning their life history, their personality, and their approach to life. Furthermore questions with regard to their smoking habits (tobacco smoke condensate exposure) were asked. Only patients who smoked cigarettes regularly were involved in the interrogation and the results were compared with those of smoking healthy controls and patients with non-malignant lung diseases (N = 162). For each pair group-controls a discriminant analysis was carried out. By reclassification a correct assignment of approx. 62% in each case could then be obtained. In addition, the answer pattern of the carcinoma patients was compared with a group of patients with non-malignant lung diseases. The results obtained were similar to those of the comparison with the healthy control group.