[Study on 21 Cases of Multiple Primary Lung Cancer].

OBJECTIVE:To explore the clinical characteristics of multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) and provide potential clues to the early diagnosis and treatment selection of MPLC patients.METHODS:The clinical data of 21 patients with MPLC confirmed by postoperative histopathology were analyzed retrospectively.RESULTS:All the 21 patients received surgery (pulmonary lobectomy or pulmonary wedge resection), and 49 intrapulmonary tumors were resected. The histopathological examination demonstrated that all the 21 cases were MPLC. Among the 21 patients, 10 had bilateral lesions in lung and 11 had unilateral lesions; 17 suffered synchronous and 4 suffered metachronous tumors; 14 had double two primary tumors, 6 had three primary tumors and 1 had four primary tumors. In these patients, 2 had various histological subtypes among their multiple lesions and 19 had same histological subtypes among their multiple tumors; 14 cases with stage I disease, stage II 2 cases, stage III 5 cases.CONCLUSIONS:For the patients who were detected as MPLC by diagnostic imaging examination, more positive therapeutic decision, such as surgery, could be suggested. The molecular markers should be developed for assisting diagnosis of MPLC.