Abstract

Introduction: Epidemiological observations confirm the significant burden of lung cancer in India, contributing significantly toward the cancer morbidity and mortality. The present study was conducted to assess the epidemiology as well the clinical and radiological features of various types of lung cancer and the recent trends in the demographic patterns of patients with lung cancer.

Methodology: This retrospective study was done on patients with a histological diagnosis of carcinoma lung. Using a pre-designed semi-structured study proforma, patient information like demography, smoking history, radiological findings and histopathological diagnosis was noted.

Results: Mean age of the patients included in the study was 55 years, males comprised 65% of the study population and half of all study participants were smokers. Most common symptoms among the patients were cough, dyspnea and loss of appetite. Histologically, adenocarcinoma was the most common type of cancer (38%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (25%). Large cell and small cell carcinoma was 8% and 9% respectively. Undifferentiated cases comprised 20% of the population. Squamous cell cancer cases and small cell cancer cases were aged on the higher side, adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated cancer cases were aged on the lower side. Gender, smoking status and radiological appearance were not significantly different between the various cancer types.

Conclusions: In our study population, adenocarcinoma was the most common type of lung cancer histologically. Squamous cell and small cell cancer cases were aged on the higher side, while adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated cancer cases were aged on the lower side.

Keywords: Lung cancer; Epidemiology; Histology; Smoking status.