Larry Nichols1, Rachel Saunders, Friedrich D Knollmann. 1. Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. lnichol5@uthsc.edu
Abstract
CONTEXT: The causes of death for patients with lung cancer are inadequately described. OBJECTIVE: To categorize the immediate and contributing causes of death for patients with lung cancer. DESIGN: The autopsies from 100 patients who died of lung cancer between 1990 and February 2011 were analyzed. RESULTS: Tumor burden was judged the immediate cause of death in 30 cases, including 26 cases of extensive metastases and 4 cases with wholly or primarily lung tumor burden (causing respiratory failure). Infection was the immediate cause of death for 20 patients, including 8 with sepsis and 12 with pneumonia. Complications of metastatic disease were the immediate causes of death in 18 cases, including 6 cases of hemopericardium from pericardial metastases, 3 from myocardial metastases, 3 from liver metastases, and 3 from brain metastases. Other immediate causes of death were pulmonary hemorrhage (12 cases), pulmonary embolism (10 cases, 2 tumor emboli), and pulmonary diffuse alveolar damage (7 cases). From a functional (pathophysiologic) perspective, respiratory failure could be regarded as the immediate cause of death (or mechanism of death) in 38 cases, usually because of a combination of lung conditions, including emphysema, airway obstruction, pneumonia, hemorrhage, embolism, resection, and lung injury in addition to the tumor. For 94 of the 100 patients, there were contributing causes of death, with an average of 2.5 contributing causes and up to 6 contributing causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: The numerous and complex ways lung cancer kills patients pose a challenge for efforts to extend and improve their lives.
CONTEXT: The causes of death for patients with lung cancer are inadequately described. OBJECTIVE: To categorize the immediate and contributing causes of death for patients with lung cancer. DESIGN: The autopsies from 100 patients who died of lung cancer between 1990 and February 2011 were analyzed. RESULTS:Tumor burden was judged the immediate cause of death in 30 cases, including 26 cases of extensive metastases and 4 cases with wholly or primarily lung tumor burden (causing respiratory failure). Infection was the immediate cause of death for 20 patients, including 8 with sepsis and 12 with pneumonia. Complications of metastatic disease were the immediate causes of death in 18 cases, including 6 cases of hemopericardium from pericardial metastases, 3 from myocardial metastases, 3 from liver metastases, and 3 from brain metastases. Other immediate causes of death were pulmonary hemorrhage (12 cases), pulmonary embolism (10 cases, 2 tumor emboli), and pulmonary diffuse alveolar damage (7 cases). From a functional (pathophysiologic) perspective, respiratory failure could be regarded as the immediate cause of death (or mechanism of death) in 38 cases, usually because of a combination of lung conditions, including emphysema, airway obstruction, pneumonia, hemorrhage, embolism, resection, and lung injury in addition to the tumor. For 94 of the 100 patients, there were contributing causes of death, with an average of 2.5 contributing causes and up to 6 contributing causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: The numerous and complex ways lung cancer kills patients pose a challenge for efforts to extend and improve their lives.
Authors: Edward B Garon; Heather R Christofk; Wylie Hosmer; Carolyn D Britten; Agnes Bahng; Matthew J Crabtree; Candice Sun Hong; Naeimeh Kamranpour; Sharon Pitts; Fairooz Kabbinavar; Cecil Patel; Erika von Euw; Alexander Black; Evangelos D Michelakis; Steven M Dubinett; Dennis J Slamon Journal: J Cancer Res Clin Oncol Date: 2014-01-18 Impact factor: 4.553
Authors: Paul W Sperduto; T Jonathan Yang; Kathryn Beal; Hubert Pan; Paul D Brown; Ananta Bangdiwala; Ryan Shanley; Norman Yeh; Laurie E Gaspar; Steve Braunstein; Penny Sneed; John Boyle; John P Kirkpatrick; Kimberley S Mak; Helen A Shih; Alex Engelman; David Roberge; Nils D Arvold; Brian Alexander; Mark M Awad; Joseph Contessa; Veronica Chiang; John Hardie; Daniel Ma; Emil Lou; William Sperduto; Minesh P Mehta Journal: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Date: 2016-06-14 Impact factor: 7.038
Authors: James Verco; William Johnston; Michael Baltezor; Philip J Kuehl; Andrew Gigliotti; Steven A Belinsky; Anita Lopez; Ronald Wolff; Lauren Hylle; Gere diZerega Journal: J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv Date: 2018-10-25 Impact factor: 2.849
Authors: Tingting Yang; Po-Yin Chang; Sungshim Lani Park; Delara Bastani; Shen-Chih Chang; Hal Morgenstern; Donald P Tashkin; Jenny T Mao; Jeanette C Papp; Jian-Yu Rao; Wendy Cozen; Thomas M Mack; Sander Greenland; Zuo-Feng Zhang Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2013-10-29 Impact factor: 2.506