We investigated various background factors in lung cancer patients treated in the chest departments of 7 hospitals in Tokyo.
The 135 cases, surveyed between January, 1981 to June, 1982, were analysed for as many background factors as possible, including occupation, living conditions, school career, mass chest survey, reason for discovery, period before admission and informationof diagnosis before hospitalization.
1) The male: female ratio was 97: 38. The predominant age was 70 years and over (38.5%).
2) Clinical stage I-II cases consisted of 32.1% and 67.9% were stage III-IV. Histologically, there was no characteristic distribution tendency.
3) 57.6% among the present subject had the opportunities of mass chest survey, but the rate for mass chest survey was much lower for those over 60 years of age.
4) The percentage of cases detected by mass chest survey in those who had the opportunity for mass chest survey was 31.6%, and it was 17.8% among the subject as a whole in the present study.
5) Cancer was detected due to symptoms in 60.6%.
6) The clinical stage I-II group represented 58.1% of the lung cancer detected in the mass chest survey group, but only 24.7% in the symptomatic group.
7) In cancer patients with a history of pulmonary disease, pulmonary tuberculosis was most predominant and the clinical stage was predominantly III-IV.
8) Only 5 patients (4.1%) were informed of their lung cancer before admission.
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