Influence of Reasons for Detection on Operative Results of Patients with Primary Lung Cancer Admitted to Local Community Hospitals in Tokyo

On the 452 cases of primary lung cancer resected at local community hospitals in Tokyo from 1982 to the end of 1995, the outcome of treatment was examined according to the different reasons for detection. There were (1) 151 cases found by symptoms;(2) 137 found through health check-ups; and (3) 164 found during treatment of other diseases. Of these three groups, stage I A + I B were (1) 40%, (2) 60%, and (3) 63% respectively, and 72%, 62% and 98% of each group had preoperative complications. Deaths within 5 years of operation were (1) 82, (2) 63 and (3) 83 cases, and out of each, (1) 13, (2) 13 and (3) 31 cases were deaths due to other diseases. The survival rate after 5 years were (1) 41%, (2) 49% and (3) 44% and no significant difference was found. During the three years since 1991, among all the lung cancer inpatients at our hospital, the rate of resection in each category was (1) 20%, (2) 68% and (3) 43%, and the 5-year survival rate was (1) 8%, (2) 33% and (3) 19% respectively. Although no significant difference was found in the outcome of resection for each group, it can be presumed that among all lung cancer cases, including those without resection, the rate of survival seems better in cases that were found through check-ups or during the treatment for other diseases, than those found by symptoms. Therefore, to achieve higher survival rates in lung cancer patients, it is important to detect the cancer in the asymptomatic stage.