title: Clinical characteristics and surgery of primary lung cancer in younger patients.
abstract: Controversy exists regarding the clinical characteristics, pathological findings, and prognosis of patients < 50 years of age with primary lung cancer. The medical records of 4,556 patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer between 1980 and 2004 were reviewed; of these, 305 were < 50 years old. Of 1,335 patients who were surgically treated, 122 were < 50 years old. Females were over-represented in the younger group. Younger patients had a significantly higher incidence of adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma, and a lower incidence of squamous cell carcinoma. The resectable rate in younger patients was significantly higher. Overall and among surgically treated patients, the survival rates of younger patients with stage 0-I disease were significantly better than those of older patients. Younger patients with early-stage primary lung cancer had a significantly better prognosis than older patients, although survival in the advanced stages was not significantly different.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Toneyama National Hospital, 5-5-1 Toneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8552, Japan. funakosy@toneyama.go.jp
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Funakoshi
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kadota
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusu
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome