[The clinical characters and treatment of lung cancer in youth]

From January 1970 to December 1990, 67 patients with lung cancer aged younger than 40 years, were treated in the PUMC Hospital. There were 43.3% with SCLC and 37.3% with adenocarcinoma. Twenty-eight patients underwent resection of the lung. Thirty-five cases received chemotherapy or radiotherapy only. The clinical and pathological characteristics of lung cancer in youth, and the influence of surgical and non=surgical treatments to the patients with lung cancer are discussed. The authors consider that the bronchoscopic and sputum smear examinations are very helpful for diagnosing lung cancer in the early stage. Postoperative adjuvant chemo- and radio-therapy is suggested because of the high incidence of SCLC and adenocarcinoma in the young patients with lung cancer.