The Duration of Carcinoma of the Lung

¹ The Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, and Veterans Administration Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The study of the life history of cancer of the lung is best made by serial roentgenograms. The course of the disease as observed in this manner is herein described.

As a result of these studies certain facts emerge as follows:

1) Cancer of the lung has a greater duration from its inception until death than has hitherto been considered.

2) In a small series of inoperable cases the average minimum duration of life was 22.5 months.

3) In a series of operable cases the average minimum duration from the time of the first roentgen evidences until surgery was 36.4 months.

4) Roentgen findings are usually present in the pre-symptomatic stages of the disease and are almost invariably present after the onset of symptoms.

5) The earliest roentgen evidences of the disease have been recorded as long as nine years before the death of the patient and as long as four and one-half years before the onset of symptoms.

6) The extension of peripheral lesions centrally thus simulating an origin in a large bronchus is described.

7) The development of roentgen evidences of obstruction long after the appearance of an enlarged hilum shadow is traced.

8) The various roentgen signs which appear early are delineated. The most frequent and important of these is an enlargement and irregularity of one hilum shadow.