Bronchogenic carcinoma in patients age 30 and younger.
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer is rare in patients 30 years of age or younger. There is very little published data on lung cancer in this group of patients.


METHODS
A retrospective review of patients 30 years of age and younger with bronchogenic carcinoma treated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1973 and 1994 was done.


RESULTS
There were 20 patients (11 female and 9 male). Mean age was 27 years (range, 19-30). The predominant histologic types were adenocarcinoma in 11 patients (55%), and undifferentiated large-cell carcinoma in 5 patients (25%). All patients presented with either stage III (8 patients) or IV disease (12 patients). Eight patients (40%) underwent surgical resection (2 lobectomies, 6 pneumonectomies). Other treatments included chemotherapy in 15 patients (75%) and radiation therapy in 7 (35%). Median survival was only 5.5 months, and there were no 5-year survivors. Univariate analysis identified stage (p = 0.05), resection (p = 0.0005), and treatment with chemotherapy (p = 0.001) as predictors of survival. On multivariate analysis, resection (p = 0.0001) and chemotherapy (p = 0.001) remained as independent predictors of survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Young patients with lung cancer present with advanced-stage disease and their cancers appear to be biologically aggressive. Although curative treatment is rarely possible, aggressive multimodality therapy is warranted.
Whooley
B P
BP
Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Urschel
J D
JD
Antkowiak
J G
JG
Takita
H
H
D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate