The metastatic spread of bronchogenic carcinoma in relation to the interval between resection and death

Information from autopsy was obtained for 125 men who had had lung cancer resected. Metastases were most common among men whose carcinoma was undifferentiated, while the prevalence among those with squamous cell carcinoma and those with adenocarcinoma was about the same. Among men whose cancers were of the latter two types, extrathoracic metastases were more common among men with adenocarcinoma than among those with squamous cell carcinoma. In 44 cases with postoperative death, metastases were found in 36 percent (16 cases). With the passage of time, the incidence of metastases rose rapidly to 85 percent (17/20) 6 to 11 months after resection. These data support the concept that metastatic disease is often present at the time of diagnosis.