Small cell lung cancer presenting as a solitary pulmonary nodule

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) rarely presents radiographically as a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN). Twenty‐five patients with this feature were identified among 408 individuals with SCLC at McGill University (Montreal, Quebec) from 1979 through 1984. Of these, 15 (60%) were confirmed on pathologic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer 1990-08, Vol.66 (3), p.577-582
Main Authors: Quoix, Elisabeth, Fraser, Richard, Wolkove, Norman, Finkelstein, Harriet, Kreisman, Harvey
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuarial Analysis
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Carcinoma, Small Cell - mortality
Carcinoma, Small Cell - pathology
Carcinoma, Small Cell - radiotherapy
Carcinoma, Small Cell - surgery
Female
Humans
Lung Neoplasms - mortality
Lung Neoplasms - pathology
Lung Neoplasms - radiotherapy
Lung Neoplasms - surgery
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pneumology
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule - mortality
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule - pathology
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule - radiotherapy
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule - surgery
Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) rarely presents radiographically as a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN). Twenty‐five patients with this feature were identified among 408 individuals with SCLC at McGill University (Montreal, Quebec) from 1979 through 1984. Of these, 15 (60%) were confirmed on pathologic review as SCLC (ten intermediate cell, four oat cell, one indeterminate). Pathologic review of a control group comprising 24 other limited‐disease patients who were long‐term survivors (> 20 months) confirmed 20 (84%) as SCLC (eight intermediate cell, 12 oat cell). Ten of the 15 patients with SPN were resected whereas five had chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy as primary treatment. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered to most of the resected patients. The median survival of the 15 patients with SPN was 24 months, a significantly longer survival than the other patients with SCLC. This improved prognosis in patients with SPN may be due to smaller initial tumor burden or to a fundamental biologic difference between SPN and other forms of SCLC.
ISSN:0008-543X
1097-0142
DOI:10.1002/1097-0142(19900801)66:3<577::AID-CNCR2820660328>3.0.CO;2-Y