Multiple primary malignancies in patients with lung cancer

Abstract

Background. To evaluate the incidence of multiple primary malignancies in lung cancer patients, we summarized our experience in lung cancer patients with multiple primary malignancies.

Methods. A total of 1194 consecutive lung cancer patients, who were admitted to our division over a 29- year period up to August 2004, were retrospectively analyzed.

Results. Ninety-eight (8.2%) of 1194 lung cancer patients had multiple primary malignancies. Metachronous malignant disease comprised 77.6% and synchronous 21.4%. Multiple primary tumours in our patients were detected more frequent in the advanced stage of lung cancer (IIIA-IV 67.3%) than in the early stage (IA-IIB 32.7%). The histological examination of lung cancer revealed a preponderance of squamous cell carcinoma (40 patients, 40.8%). First primary tumours developed most commonly in gastrointestinal tract, followed by lung and uterus. Fifty-seven (85.1%) of 67 patients with aerogastrointestinal and head and neck cancers had a smoking habit. In 98 patients with multiple primary cancers, forty (40.8%) patients had stage IA-IIIA lung cancer, however, 26 (26.5%) had a surgical resection.

Conclusions. Existing metachronous primary tumours proved to be a worse prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer patients (p=0.0480), while synchronous primary tumours were not, as well as there was not proven that multiple primary tumours were worse prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer.