Comparison of Family History and Past History in Lung Cancer Patients and Emphysema Patients

Abstract

The past history and family history in patients with lung cancer and emphysema were reviewed by examining their medical records. The emphysema patients had been admitted because of complications such as respiratory failure, and their average age and cigarette indices were higher than those in the lung cancer group. According to their past history, the incidence of ischemic heart disease in the lung cancer group was higher than in the emphysema group. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of frequency of peptic ulcer history. However, age distribution at the onset of ulcers peaked in the 50's in the lung cancer group, whereas there were two peaks in the emphysema group, one in the 40's and the other in the 60-70's. As to family history, there was no difference between these two groups in the incidence of benign diseases, but the incidence of cancer among relatives in the lung cancer group was twice as high as in the emphysema group. Concerning the organs in which the cancers arose among the families of the lung cancer group, the frequency of incidence seemed to parallel that in the general population in Japan. This tendency was seen not only in blood relatives but in spouses. Smoking is widely thought to be one of the risk factors of lung cancer. Conversely, heavy smokers who do not have lung cancer may have suppressive factors against lung cancer, and the patients with emphysema we studied are good examples. So, our comparative study may give a suggestion to the surveillance of risk factors for lung cancer.