The solitary pulmonary nodule. Ten-year follow-up of veterans administration-armed forces cooperative study

Arch Surg. 1975 May;110(5):570-5. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1975.01360110116019.

Abstract

Over a five-year span 1,134 patients with asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodules were entered into a cooperative study. Of the 392 lesions found to be primary bronchogenic carcinoma, 67 patients were living and under observation ten years following operation. In the study, 32% of lesions were primary bronchogenic carcinoma, the incidence being 51% in patients above the age of 50 years. "Curative" resection was possible in 309 patients (78.9%) with a five-year observed survival of 38.5% and a ten-year observed survival of 20.1%. Factors that influenced long-term survival were size of lesion, age at operation, and interval between the last normal and the first abnormal x-ray film. Histologic cell type and extent of resection were not found to influence long-term survival.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • District of Columbia
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Methods
  • Prognosis
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / diagnosis
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / pathology
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / surgery*
  • United States
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs