Abstract

From June 1979 to July 1988 for 9 years, total 440 cases of lung cancer[including biopsy and surgical specimen] of the Pusan Paik hospital were examined for the clinical and pathology study. The findings of the study are as follows; [1] The incidence of lung cancer started to increase from 1982, and it again remarkably increased since 1987. Such increase was solely brought by the increase of male lung cancer. Male and female ratio is 5.6: 1. [2] Histopathologically, the most prevalent type is squamous cell carcinoma[60.ado], and next are adenocarcinoma[15.6%] and small cell carcinoma[15.0%]. But in female alone, the most prevalent type is adenocarcinoma[40.3%], and next are squamous cell carcinoma[37.3%] and small cell carcinoma[11.9%]. [3] The absolute number of adenocarcinoma are approximately equally distributed among both sexes until 60 years of age. Above 61 years of age, mostly male was shown while female was not. Most probably, many female patient.- of that old age simply did not visit general hospitals for surgery in Korea. [4] Surgical treatment was performed in 8% of total cases of lung cancer. And most cases showed stage I progression of the cancer. Average size of the cancer was 5 cm in diameter in the operated 35 cases suggesting that the cancer could be detected more than 10 years ago before the time of surgery. [5] Lung cancer affected more in the right lung [right: left=1.6: 1], and each upper lobe of both lungs are affected about 1/4 of cases indicating that about 1/2 of all lung cancer develop from the upper lobes. [6] There are more nonsmokers[67.6%] among the lung cancer patients[male 64.6%, female 82.1%]. Probably, this will mean that there are other potent carcinogenic agents in our environment like automobile exhaust beside tobacco smoke. For the past history of lung disease other than cancer, tuberculosis is the most prevalent disease[16.1%, male 17.4%, female 9.0%]. Most of them is probably not related etiologically though this possibility is not completely denied.

Keywords

• lung cancer;
• histopathology;
• korean