[Survival of lung cancer patients who refused surgical treatment]

In 180 patients with lung cancer the causes of their refusing the operation were analysed, and the survival was followed up. The refusals made up 35.6% to the total number of patients who were offered the operative treatment. The causes of such refusals are as follows: a) no complaints and good patients' state by the moment of establishing the diagnosis (20%); b) fear of the operation, patients' being unaware of the perspectives of their life in case of the refusal; home remedies - 45%; c) no belief in the cure from lung cancer by surgery - 35% of cases. During the first 2 years since the diagnosis was made 80% of such patients die. The terms of survival depend on a number of factors, among which the duration of the clinical period of the lesion, histological tumor structure and its size are of great importance for the prognosis. The refusals seem to be a considerable reserve in oncopneumonology to raise the operability of lung cancer and to improve the results of its surgical treatment.