title: [Lung cancer in the Pontevedra health area: incidence, clinical presentation and survival].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics, and survival of patients with lung cancer (LC) in the Pontevedra Health Area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective observational study was conducted on all patients with a diagnosis of LC in the Pontevedra Hospital Complex (CHOP) health area over a three-year period. The data recorded included, age, gender, smoking history, comorbidity, functional status, diagnostic method, histology type, stage, treatment received, and survival. The patients were followed up for 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 358 cases of LC were included in the study, which gave a crude incidence rate adjusted to the standard European population of 37.33/100,000 inhabitants/year in males and 4.88/100,000 inhabitants/year in females. The large majority were males (87%). The mean age was 68.7 years, and 82% were smokers or ex-smokers. The most common histology type was epidermoid, with 35.2% of the cases. The diagnosis was made in stages III-B or IV in 79% of cases. Chemotherapy was the first treatment in 53% of the cases. Survival after the first year was 25%, which decreased to 4% at the third year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of LC in our health area continues to be mainly in male smokers, although the incidence in females and in people who never smoked is higher than in other populations in our country. It is diagnosed in the advance stages of the disease, and survival is poor.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Clínico-Universitario, Santiago de Compostela. francisco.javier.gonzalez.barcala@sergas.es
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: González-Barcala
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Falagán
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Prim
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puga
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: García-Sanz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antón
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Canive
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pose
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate