Abstract
Primary lung cancer has increased markedly in its incidence and prevalence rate recently in Korea. In frequency, it occupies the second rank cancer preceded by stomach cancer in korean male. From February 1986 to December 1992, we have operated on 55 cases of primary lung cancer in Korea Veterans Hospital and followed them. The results are as follows; 1. The peak incidence of age of primary lung cancer was 6th decade and 5th decade and those were 87.3% of study group, mainly in male. 2. Symptoms were cough [63.6%], dyspnea [41.8%], chest pain and discomfort [38.2%], blood tinged sputum and hemoptysis [21.8%]. Symptoms were frequently encountered before hospitalization and asymptomatic cases were 9.1% of study group. 3. Methods of diagnostic confirmation were bronchoscopic biopsy [52.7%], percutaneous needle aspiration[PCNA][21.8%], sputum cytolgy [12.7%], open biopsy [12.7%]. 4. Histopathologically, squamous cell carcinoma [76.4%] was the most frequent cancer and adenocarcinoma [10.9%], giant cell cancer [7.3%], and the others in order. 5. Methods of operation were pneumonectomy [32.7%], bilobectomy [18.2%], lobectomy [27.3%], lobectomy and segmenectomy [1.8%], exploration [20%], and overall resectability was 80%. 6. Operative mortality was 5.5% [3 cases] and there were 5 cases of complication. 7. Postoperative long-term follow up reveals that the cumulative survival rates in 6 months, 12 months, 26 months, 34 months, 43 months, 64 months were 89.5%, 71.7%, 66.7%, 57.2%, 50.8%, 42.3% respecively.
