Unexplained Systemic Manifestations of Malignant Lung Tumors

¹ Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine; Chairman, Department of Surgery, Miami Heart Institute
² Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine
³ Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine
⁴ Miami, Florida

Pulmonary tumors may be bizarre and variable in their clinical manifestations. The authors and others have recently focused attention upon systemic effects of malignant tumors, some of which seem to be the result of the production of hormones by the tumor or stimulation by the endocrine glands by the tumor or a product of it, to secrete abnormal amounts of hormones. The mechanism is not clear. This again may be just another abnormal host reaction to the tumor. The physiologic aberrations are interesting and, as a rule, the prognosis in these "hormone-secreting" tumors is rather unfavorable.

In the authors' personal series of over 1,600 lung tumors, several patients with severe hypertrophy, and pulmonary osteoarthropathy, have experienced immediate relief after the removal of the tumor even though metastases remained unresected. The unusual and fascinating neuromyopathy, malignant carcinoid syndrome, masculinizing syndrome, marked hypoglycemia, Cushing-like syndrome, feminizing syndrome, and other systemic manifestations have been encountered in the management of malignant lung tumors. An intensive study of these fascinating and unexplained physiologic manifestations should shed important light on these, and possibly many other physiologic aberrations.

The various systemic manifestations of malignant lung tumors have been discussed and illustrative cases presented.