Cancer of the lung in tuberculous patients.

Of all tuberculous patients over 45 years of age admitted to Olive View Sanatorium in the five-year period ended July, 1958, 1.4 per cent had cancer of the lung. This is a much higher incidence than in a comparable segment of the general population. Careful examination of serial roentgenographic studies in all cases of suspected pulmonary lesions was found to increase diagnostic acuity. Scalene node biopsy, cytologic study and bronchoscopy were of less help. Diagnostic thoracotomy was the single most useful procedure for diagnosis. As to operability, the results in patients with both cancer and tuberculosis compared very well with those in patients who had only cancer. Patients who have inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and cancer have much poorer results than patients with active tuberculosis and cancer. There are difficulties in accurately diagnosing cancer in the presence of tuberculosis; and there are special problems in patients with inactive tuberculosis and cancer.