Lung Cancer in Young Adults (< 35 Years)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5644/Radovi.380Keywords:
lung cancer, young adultsradiology, radiologyAbstract
Background and objective: Lung cancer in young adults have been differently described in publications from various regions of the world. In this paper literature data and results of our own study of lung cancer in 35 years old and younger patients are presented. Method: A retrospective review of patients 35 years of age and younger with lung cancer treated at Department of Pulmonary Diseases and TB in Sarajevo University Clinical Center from 1995 to 2000 was done.
Results: There were 8 patients (5 male and 3 female). Mean age was 34 years (in range, 31-35). The predominant histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma in 5 cases (62,5%), including smoking and non- smoking patients. Final histopathological diagnosis was made in 2 cases (25%) by combination of bronchoscopic techniques, in 2 cases (25%) by bronchial biopsy alone. Pleural punction and biopsy (25%) as well as thoracotomy (12^5%) were done in three cases with peripherally located tumors. Almost all patients presented with advanced- stage disease, either stage HI B (4 patients) or stage IV (3 patients). Only one patient had IILA stage disease and underwent surgical resection and chemotherapy. Other treatments included chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Five patients (623%) were followed up until death. Median survival of these patients was 17,4 months. There was only one 2-year survivor. Three patients (37,5%) rejected follow up without known reason.
Conclusions: This study showed an undoubted risk of lung cancer among young persons in our population. Although males were commonly affected, females were also seen to have malignancy in a high ratio. The young with lung cancer presented with advanced- stage disease and curative treatment is rarely possible.
References
Hammar S. Common neoplasms. In: Dail DH and Hammar SD(eds) Pulmonary pathology. Springler — Verlag, New York, 1994.
Jensen OM, Esteve J, Moller H, Renard H. Cancer in the European Community and its member States. Eur J Cancer 1990; 26:1167:1256.
Pettersson H. The Nicer Global Text Book of Radiology Series on Diagnostic Imaging, 1995.
Dalagija F, Gavrankapetanović F, Bešlić Š, Momjaković A Utility and algorithm of imaging modalities in diagnosis and staging of bronchogenic carcinoma. Radovi/Works XCII 2003; 31:117:127.
Buun PAJr. Lung cancer: current understanding biology, diagnosis, staging and treatment. Bristol- Myers Company, 1988.
Fontana RS, Sanderson DR, Taylor WF, et al. Early lung cancer detection: results ofthe initial(prevalence) radiologic and cytologic screening in the Mayo clinic study. Am Rev Respir Dis 1984; 130:561:565.
Frost JK, Bali WC, Levin Ml, et al. Early lung cancer detection: results of the initial (prevalence) radiological and cytological screening in the Johns Hopkins study. Am Rev Respir Dis 1984; 130:549:554.
Travis WD, et al. Lung cancer. Cancer 1995; 75:191.
Whooley BP, Urschel JD, Antkowiak JG, Takita H. Bronchogenic carcinoma in patients age 30 and younger. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000; 2:86:88.
Chan TK, Aranda CP, Rom WN. Bronchogenic carcinoma in young patients at risk for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Chest 1993; 103:862:864.
Rabkin CS, Biggar RJ, Horm JW. Increasing incidence of cancers associated with the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic. Int J Cancer 1991; 47: 692:696.
Dobson AJ, Kuulasmaa K, Moltchanov U, et al. Changes in cigarette smoking among adults in 35 populations in the mid-1980 s. WHO Monika project. Tob Control 1998; 7:14:21.
Hackshaw AK, Law MR, Wald NJ. The accumulated evidence on lung cancer and environmental tobacco smoke. Br Med J 1997; 315: 98:988.
Cardenas VM, Thun MJ, Austin H, et al. Environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer mortality in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II. Cancer Causes Control 1997; 8:57:64.
Hirayama T. Cancer mortality in nonsmoking women with smoking husbands based on a large scale cohort study in Japan. Prev Med 1984; 13:680:690.
Darby S, Whitley E, Silcooks P, et al. Risk oflung cancer associated with residential radon exposure in south- west England: a case- control study. Br J Cancer 1998; 78:394:408.
The Alpha_Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamine E and beta carotene on the incidence oflung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1029:1035.
Antilla S, Luostarinen L, Hirvonen A, et al. Pulmonary expression of glutathione S- transferase M3 in lung cancer patients: association with GSTM1 polymorphism, smoking and asbestos exposure. Cancer Res 1995; 55:3305:3309.
Barsky SH, Roth MD, Kleerup EC, et al. Histopathologic and molecular alterations in bronchial epithelium in habitual smokers of marijuana, cocaine and/or tobacco. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998; 90(16): 1198:205.
Schonfeld N, Lienert T, Serke M, et al. Bronchial carcinoma inyoung adults. Pneumologie 1999; 53(10): 480:484.
Agarwal A, Ghotekar LH, Garbyal RS, et al. Evaluation of pulmonary malignancies in Kathmandu Valley and role ofbronchoscopic techniques in diagnosis ofsuch cases. JIACM 2003; 4(2): 127:33.
Piya MK. The role offiber-optic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of lung cancer in Patan Hospital. JNMA 1991; 268:29.
Hunti E, Sutinen S, Saloheimo M. Lung cancer in a defined geographical area: history and histologic types. Thorax 1980; 35: 660:667.
Bhattacharya K, Deb AR, Dastidar AG, et aL Bronchogenic carcinoma in young adults. J Indian Med Assoc 1996; 94(1): 18:20.
Butler C, Samet JM, Humble CG, et al. Histopathology oflung cancer in New Mexico, 1970-72 and 1980-81. J Natl Cancer Inst 1987; 78: 85:90.
Beard CM, Jedd MB, Woolner LB, et al. Fifty-year trend in incidence rates ofbronchogenic carcinoma by cell type in Olmsted County, Minnesota. J Natl Cancer Inst 1988; 80:1404:1407.
Dodds L, Daviš S, Polissar L. A population-based study oflung cancer incidence trends by histologic type. J Natl Cancer Inst 1986; 76:21:29.
Ko YC, Lee CH, Chen MI, et al. Riskfactors forprimary lung cancer among non-smoking women in Taivvan. Int J Epidemiol 1997; 26: 24:31.
Correa P, Williams Pickle LW, Fontham E, et al. Passive smoking and lung cancer. Lancet 1983; ii: 595:597.
Fontham ET, Correa P, Reynolds P, et al. Environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer in nonsmoking women. A multicenter study. J Am Med Assoc 1994; 271:1752:1759.
Robbins S, Cotran RS. The respiratory system. In: Robbins Cotran et al editors - Thepathologic basis ofdisease. W.B. Saunders. Philadelfia 2nd ed. 1979; 321:337.
Viswanathan R, Gupta S,’Iyer PVK Incidence ofpulmonary lung cancer in India. Thorax 1962; 17:73:76.
Shanker VS.Bronchial carcinoma. Ind J Chest Dis 1967; 9:161:164.
Chokhani R. Lung cancer diagnosis by bronchofibroscopy in a chest clinic inKathmandu. NMCI1998; 1: 25:28.
Naryshkin S, Daniels J, Young NA. Diagnostic correlation of fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy and bronchoscopic cytology performed simultaneously. Drag Cytopathol 1992; 8:119:123.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 F. Dalagija, Š. Bešlić, A. Mornjaković, H. Žutić
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
