[Double cancers: a clinical analysis of 156 cases]

In order to study the causes of multiple primary carcinomas (MPC), and to give proper treatment, 156 patients with double cancers were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were admitted to the hospital from 1982 to 1987, accounting 0.47% of all hospitalized patients with malignant tumors in the same period. Out of them 86 patients were male, 70 patients were female. The age ranged from 17 to 80 old-year, the median 50 old-year. In 34 cases, the two cancers were synchronous in occurrence while in 122 cases were metachronous. The nasopharynx, lungs, large bowel and mammary gland were the most common sites of the MPC. The principle of treatment of the MPC was the same as that for ordinary primary carcinoma. The total 5-year survival rate was 34.6%.