BRONCHOGENIC CANCER IN THE GENERAL-HOSPIT AL OF MEXICO - A STUDY OF 2DECADES

Among 1 855 thoracic neoplasmss seen from 1971 to 1990, there were 923 with bronchogenic carcinoma (CaBr), 50%. The relation male: female wa s 1.95: 1. Sixty three period thirty one percent were male. The histol ogic type were epidermoid 32.2%, adenocarcinoma 28.4% and small cells 13.2% in men; in womenn adenocarcinoma 38.9% epidermoid 28.9% and mixe d 7.7% with a significative difference for both sexes for these neopla sms. Other types were less frequent. There is significative difference between smokers and non-smokers of both sexes p<0.001. Epidermoid, ad enocarcinoma, small cells, large cells and mixed were the most frequen t in male smokers, in women these varieties were more frequent in nons mokers. Comparison with the reference group with no CaBr suggests that epidermoid, adenocarcinoma and small cells carcinomas have a great po ssibilty to be found in male smokers. Ninety two period two percent of cases were stage III (Tumor Node Metastasyss) with no chancee for rad ical treatment. Only 94 were subject to surgery with 36 total resectio ns. CaBr is an important problem in the General Hospital of Mexico. An tismoking programmes must be stressed in relation to the frequency of CaBr in smokers.