Favorable Bronchiolar Carcinoma

Fifteen cases of operable bronchiolar carcinoma are herein presented. While it is true that many cases are clinically inoperable when the pulmonary difficulty is first investigated, those patients who do come to thoracotomy, without any gross evidence of extension, either clinically or surgically, probably have a localized lesion. Because of this predictability of the lesion, 11 of these cases were treated by lobectomy. Eight of these are living now, without evidence of disease. For them, the limited resection seem to have been sufficient; and from the point of view of pulmonary function, they will benefit. One of the lobectomy cases was dead in seven months of cerebral metastasis. The two who developed ipso lateral disease were under pre-operative observation longer than any of the others—eight and two years respectively. From experience gained to date with this type of lesion, for localized tumors promptly treated, we believe a conservative type of resection will yield as good results as total pneumonectomy.