Characteristics of patients with lung cancer in the city of Manaus, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the characteristics of patients with lung cancer.


METHODS
A retrospective descriptive study of patients receiving a histopathological diagnosis of lung cancer between 1995 and 2002 in the city of Manaus, Brazil. Data were collected from the medical archives of three hospitals. Statistical analyses were carried out, and survival curves were generated by means of an actuarial estimator.


RESULTS
Of the 352 patients selected, 262 (74.4%) were male and 90 (25.6%) were female. The mean age was 62 years. The following histological types were identified: squamous cell carcinoma, 62.8%; adenocarcinoma, 24.7%; small cell carcinoma, 9.1%; and large cell carcinoma, 3.4%. The most common stages were stages IIIB and IV, in 45% and 21.5%, respectively. Of the total sample, 73.4% were submitted to treatment. Of these, 51.4% underwent radiotherapy; 16.6%, surgery; 15.8%, chemotherapy; and 16.2%, radiotherapy in association with chemotherapy. Cumulative survival rates were low: three-year survival was 6.5%, and five-year survival was 3.5%.


CONCLUSIONS
In this group of patients with lung cancer, survival rates were considerably lower than those reported in the literature. This might be attributable to the limited access to the specialized health care system and the advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis.
Westphal
Fernando Luiz
FL
Hospital Universitário Getúlio Vargas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil. f.l.westphal@uol.com.br
Lima
Luis Carlos de
LC
Andrade
Edson Oliveira
EO
Lima Netto
José Corrêa
JC
Silva
Andrei Salvioni da
AS
Carvalho
Bruna Cecília Neves
BC
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate