[Retrospective analysis of the fluorograms of patients with primary lung cancer]

Poor recognition of early stages of primary lung cancer during fluoroscopic examinations made the authors revise and analyse the archival fluorographs in 60 lung cancer patients, and compare them with the previous conclusions made by roentgenologists. In 23 patients previous fluorographs made during the period from 4 months to 5 years and a half already revealed the changes at the site of the detected cancer, which were interpreted as residual phenomena of pulmonary tuberculosis, postpneumonia pneumosclerosis or unrecognized cases (6) due to poorly manifested changes. Some recommendations are given how to select persons for a dispensary supervision, it is advocated that practising radiologists should examine retrospectively archival fluorographs to study early pulmonary cancer. Also, the problem of identifying malignancy in small forms of the pathology, revealed roentgenologically, is awaiting its solution by research workers of all specialties.