A retrospective study of diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with lung cancer

To assess the diagnostic and therapeutic status of non-respiratory physicians managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for patients with lung cancer at general hospitals to promote a standardized regimen. Through a retrospective survey from January 2009 to December 2010 at our hospital, the data of clinical features, pulmonary function test results and information of therapy for lung cancer patients with COPD admitted at non-respiratory departments (mostly of thoracic surgery) were collected. A total of 240 lung cancer patients with COPD were admitted. Five patients were diagnosed as COPD with a diagnostic rate of 2.1%. And 210 cases of patients were stable. According to GOLD guidelines in 2010, only 50 cases were treated with adequate drugs (23.8%). Among another 30 patients with acute exacerbation, the following therapies were administrated: selective bronchodilator (n = 13, 43.3%), antibiotics (n = 26, 86.7%) and glucocorticoids (n = 1, 3.3%). Underdiagnosis and inadequate treatment of COPD in