The aerosol technique of sputum induction was used in 127 patients with proven primary lung cancers.
When conventional cytology technique was used in expectorating patients, 3 day's pontaneous sputum yielded a positive diagnostic ratio of 64.1 %, whereas, single induced sputum specimens yielded positive specimens in 43.2%. Therefore, out of all lung cancer cases, the cytologically positive ratio was higher in expectorating patients than in those with induced sputum. Later the aerosol technique was used with 60 cases who did not produce sputum spontaneously and the specimens of aerosol-induced sputum were positive in 24 cases (40.0%).
These results show that the detection rate of lung cancer increased from 33.8% with the conventional sputum cytology technique to 56.6% for all cases, using spontaneous sputum plus induced sputum.
Centrally located lesions of the main and lobar bronchi yield higher diagnostic rates on induced sputum examination. Among centrally located lesions, all superficially infiltrating type lesions were positive by cytology.
The highest yield in the diagnosis of lung cancer by induced sputum examination was obtained for epidermoid carcinoma followed by small cell carcinoma.
Centrally located epidermoid carcinoma can be detected effectively in its early occult stage by cytologic examination of the sputum. However, in our experience, 13 out of 27 patients with centrally located epidermoid carcinoma of the lung could not provide sputum specimens. As a result the aerosol technique was used in these 13 patients and sputum cytology was positive in 9 patients. Therefore, the detection rate of centrally located epidermoid carcinoma with or without sputum increased from 48.1% to 81.4%. It may prove valuable as a screening device for cancer detection, particularly in mass surveys.
On the basis of the above findings, it may be said that the induction procedure seems to be a good screening method for lung cancer patients who do not produce sputum spontaneously, and that cytologic examination of these induced sputum and spontatneous sputum specimens tend to complement one another.
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