title: Clinical characteristics and prognosis of incidentally detected lung cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes in incidentally detected lung cancer and in symptomatic lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a retrospective study including all patients undergoing pulmonary resection with a curative intention for NSCLC. They were classified into two groups according to the presence or absence of cancer-related symptoms at diagnosis in asymptomatic (ASX)—incidental diagnosis—or symptomatic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 593 patients, 320 (53.9%) were ASX. In 71.8% of these, diagnosis was made by chest X-ray. Patients in the ASX group were older (P = 0.007), had a higher prevalence of previous malignancy (P = 0.002), presented as a solitary nodule more frequently (P < 0.001), and were more likely to have earlier-stage disease and smaller cancers (P = 0.0001). A higher prevalence of incidental detection was observed in the last ten years (P = 0.008). Overall 5-year survival was higher for ASX (P = 0.001). Median survival times in pathological stages IIIB-IV were not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidental finding of NSCLC is not uncommon even among nonsmokers. It occurred frequently in smokers and in those with history of previous malignancy. Mortality of incidental diagnosis group was lower, but the better survival was related to the greater number of patients with earlier-stage disease.
authors: Thoracic Oncology Centre, Buenos Aires British Hospital, Perdriel 74, C1280AEB Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Quadrelli
authors: Thoracic Oncology Centre, Buenos Aires British Hospital, Perdriel 74, C1280AEB Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Lyons
authors: University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Colt
authors: Thoracic Oncology Centre, Buenos Aires British Hospital, Perdriel 74, C1280AEB Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Chimondeguy
authors: Thoracic Oncology Centre, Buenos Aires British Hospital, Perdriel 74, C1280AEB Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Buero
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate