Pathological study of myocardial infarction and coronary atherosclerosis in lung cancer

Pathological findings of coronary heart disease were compared between patients with lung cancer and with cancer in the other organs in male subjects over 55 years of age. Myocardial infarction was found in 13 of 58 subjects with lung cancer and in 5 of 79 subjects with cancer in the other organs (P less than 0.02). The subjects with severe stenoses of major coronary arteries were more frequent in lung cancer group (13 of 58) than in cancer group in the other organs (4 of 79 subjects: p less than 0.01). In 12 of 13 subjects with lung cancer and myocardial infarction the infarction seemed to occur due to coronary stenosis. The subjects with lung cancer had significant increase of heart weight in comparison with subjects with cancer in the other organs.