The natural history of lung cancer with pericardial metastases.

Sixty-five lung cancer patients with pericardial metastases were reviewed. The diagnosis was established antemortem in 30 patients. Median survival of the treated group for pericardial metastasis from the date of primary diagnosis of lung cancer was 22.5 weeks. Patients who did not receive treatment had a median survival of 1.75 weeks (P 0.01). Median survival, in the treated group, from the date of pericardial metastases was 21 weeks. Prolonged survival was seen in those who had involvement of pericardium only as the site of first metastases. Median survival of this group was 32.5 weeks as opposed to those who had pericardial as well as other metastases whose survival was 17.25 weeks (P 0.03). Radiation therapy appeared to be the best modality of treatment in this group of patients.