title: Five year survival and later outcome of patients with X-ray occult lung cancer detected by sputum cytology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A cohort of 51 consecutive patients with roentgenographically occult lung cancer, identified by sputum cytology and confirmed by bronchoscopy was reported previously.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients have now been followed beyond 5 years and the causes of death ascertained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The actual 5-year survival of 27 patients who were resected for cure was 74% including death for all causes. The 5-year survival of all patients who received either surgery or radiation in an attempt to cure was 54.3%. Twelve secondary cancers were found by sputum cytology; eight of these patients have died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sputum cytology can be useful in the identification of early stage lung cancer in patients at high-risk where the chances of cure are favorable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Pulmonology Diseases, St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center, Grand Junction, CO, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bechtel
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Petty
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saccomanno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology; D016019:Survival Analysis