Endobronchial metastatic disease

Between 1969 and 1979, 90 patients of the Thoracic Surgical Unit at Harefield Hospital were found to have pulmonary metastatic disease. In 25 instances (28%) the diagnosis was established by bronchial biopsy. Twenty-four patients had endobronchial metastatic carcinoma and in one metastatic sarcoma was diagnosed. All but one had a past history of malignancy, the interval between treatment of the primary and appearance of the endobronchial metastasis ranging from a few months to 17 years. Primary sites in these patients included large intestine, breast, cervix, uterus, and bladder. There were four instances of metastatic malignant melanoma. The pulmonary secondaries were resectable in 10 patients and in one a second resection was done for a further metastasis three years after the first. Three patients are still alive two, four, and 10 years later.