[Multiple primary malignant tumors involving the liver]

In the Department of Pathology of the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University in Szeged during the last 30 years 1770 (19.4% of the cancers) primary malignant lung tumours were observed in autopsy material, from which 86 patients (4.9%) had other malignancies as well. In 81 cases other extrapulmonary and in 5 cases other primary lung tumours were observed. The male predominance in these cases was significant. All of the patients were heavy smokers. Amongst these synchronous tumour-associations the most frequent extrapulmonary tumours arose in the urogenital tract, in the head and neck, relatively frequently also in the breast, liver, stomach, intestine and thyroid. These cases caused diagnostic dilemmas both for the clinician and even for the pathologist. Several signs help to distinguish a new primary tumour from a metastasis. Multiplicity itself does not mean poorer prognosis. Each cancer should possibly receive adequate treatment.